Jordan Lawlar takes seat against right-hander

Lawlar nearly had a game-tying homer in the ninth on Sunday, settling for an RBI double instead. Tonight, he did get the homer, sending a ball 412 feet to center to cut the Marlins’ lead to one in the eighth. He also had a steal of second base, with Pavin Smith scoring as the D-backs pulled off a double steal with runners on first and third, Lawlar is hitting .267/.339/.455 with five homers in 113 plate appearances, and he’s overtaken Ryan Waldschmidt in center field in the process.

It looks to be nothing more than a regular day of rest for the 23-year-old outfielder. Waldschmidt has done a decent job overall in his time with the D’Backs this season, slashing .266/.331/.378 with three homers, 22 RBI and seven stolen bases across 263 plate appearances. Jordan Lawlar will start in his place in center field and bat ninth for the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Lawlar got the start in center field on Tuesday with a left-hander on the mound for the Phillies. He provided the only run on the night for Arizona, taking Jesús Luzardo deep for a solo homer in the fifth inning. It was the fourth home run of the season for the 24-year-old outfielder. He’s hitting a respectable .288/.358/.479 across 82 plate appearances, but is mostly limited to playing time in a short-side platoon against left-handed pitching.

Lawlar’s solo blast was an opposite-field shot off Matthew Boyd in the sixth, breaking a scoreless tie. The former top prospect is up to three homers and four stolen bases in his first 20 games with the big league club this season. Arizona has faced a plethora of lefties since he was recalled on August 17, and he has started against all six of them. However, he has started against only one of three right-handers. Ryan Waldschmidt played center field in the other two games to make room for Max Kepler in left, so the playing time is worth monitoring.

Lawlar was hit by a 98.5-mph fastball from Daniel Palencia. He was able to walk off on his own afterwards, but he obviously wasn’t staying in the game. Hopefully, this won’t lead to another IL stint for the 24-year-old. Jorge Barrosa replaced him versus the Cubs.

Lawlar has started five of seven games since returning from the injured list, going 4-for-18 with one homer and three RBI during that span. He’ll continue splitting time with fellow rookie Ryan Waldschmidt, who is in center field on Monday night at Chase Field with righty Kevin Gasuman toeing the rubber for Chicago.

Lawlar hit his second homer of the season with a two-run shot off Nick Lodolo. He drove in his third run of the game with an RBI single five innings later. Lawlar added another run-scoring single in the contest, and when he’s been healthy enough to play, the former top prospect has looked the part. The question, of course, is whether he can play enough for this to matter. It would certainly be a mistake to give up on him in keeper leagues, that’s for sure.

Lawlar, who missed two months with a hamstring strain, just hit five homers in the final four games of his rehab assignment with Double-A Amarillo. He was used only in center field during his rehab stint, so the D-backs clearly intend to use him there, probably in a job share with Ryan Waldschmidt. Waldschmidt can move to left when both are in the lineup. There’s a chance Lawlar will offer some mixed-league value, but he’d need regular playing time and that doesn’t seem assured right now. Of course, the homer binge has to help his cause.

Lawlar kicked off a minor league rehab assignment last week and will get a couple additional contests under his belt before returning to Arizona. The 24-year-old former top prospect has shown some flashes this season, but he’s been plagued by injuries, which have limited him to just 12 games.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters Saturday that Lawlar underwent an MRI that showed healing, but the issue isn’t completely resolved yet. He hit the injured list with a right hamstring strain back on June 20. The 24-year-old former top prospect has shown some encouraging signs at the plate this season, but he’s been snake-bitten by injuries, which have limited him to just 12 games. He hasn’t been cleared to resume running at full speed, so he’ll need to continue building up that progression before he’s cleared to return.