LuJames

Groover

Vargas is still feeling the effects of his collision with Max Muncy on Thursday evening. He has appeared as a defensive replacement over the weekend, so he appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. LuJames Groover will start in his place at first base and bat eighth for the Diamondbacks against Cade Cavalli and the Nationals on Sunday.

Owner of quite possibly the coolest name in the league, the recently promoted Groover drove in the first run of his career with a fifth inning single. At the time, that cut the Nationals lead to 2-1 before Eduardo Rodriguez and the Diamondbacks’ bullpen let this one get out of hand. Along with that single, Groover had two batted balls hit harder than 100 mph and has now started consecutive games at first base after Ildemaro Vargas went on the injured list, but be advised that each came against a left-handed starting pitcher. More of a contact over power player who showed great plate discipline at Triple-A, Groover could find his way into deep league relevance should he hold onto an everyday role.

Vargas came off the bench as a defensive replacement during Friday’s series opener, which is an encouraging sign. The 34-year-old will get some extra time off to recover after a serious collision with Dodgers slugger Max Muncy earlier this week. He suffered multiple bruises, but X-rays came back negative. It’ll be rookie LuJames Groover drawing another start at first base in his absence.

It’s the first trip to the big leagues for the 24-year-old infielder who was selected by the Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2023 draft. Groover was off to a nice start at the Triple-A level, slashing .322/.421/.452 with three homers, 39 RBI, two stolen bases and a 43/37 K/BB ratio across 256 plate appearances. Unless he finds his way into an everyday role, it’s difficult to envision a path to mixed league fantasy relevancy for Groover.