Ryan

Waldschmidt

Lawlar missed two months after suffering a fractured wrist in his sixth game of the season in April. Now he’s back on the IL after injuring his hamstring in his sixth game after returning to the lineup. Manager Torey Lovullo said there’s some hope Lawlar could beat a potential four- to six-week timeline, but it seems likely that he’s out through the break. The Diamondbacks didn’t recall Ryan Waldschmidt as Lawlar’s replacement, instead choosing Tim Tawa, so it looks like Jorge Barrosa is about to see a significant playing time increase. They can also use Tommy Troy in center, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left and Adrian Del Castillo at DH in search of more offense, not that Del Castillo has provided much to date.

Lawlar just can’t seem to stay healthy for any length of time. He had two hits before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning Friday. If he needs to return to the IL, the D-backs could bring Ryan Waldschmidt back to the majors.

Waldschmidt returns to the minors with veteran Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back from the injured list for Monday’s showdown against the Angels. The 23-year-old top prospect arrived in the big leagues as an intriguing power/speed combo threat last month, but wound up hitting a pedestrian .259/.314/.357 with 11 runs scored, zero homers, eight RBI and five steals in 122 plate appearances over 33 games. He’ll need to show some growth from a plate skills perspective to reach his lofty fantasy ceiling, but the talent is there for Waldschmidt to provide sustained fantasy relevance at some point in the future.

Waldschmidt went 2-for-11 with five strikeouts in three games against the Mariners over the weekend. It’ll be fellow rookie Tommy Troy in left field on Monday night against the Dodgers to face starter Emmet Sheehan.

Waldschmidt’s triple was a shot that Jake McCarthy couldn’t quite get to, scoring Ildemaro Vargas in the process. The rookie center fielder is already up to five stolen bases in just 57 plate appearances, and he’s sporting an OBP over .400. That will likely come down given an unsustainable BABIP, but he’s impressing early in his career. Waldschmidt hit sixth in Sunday’s contest after batting ninth in every previous game he started.

Waldschmidt has made an immediate impact since being promoted to Arizona last week. The 2024 first-round pick also singled and drew a walk, and his pair of steals give him his first two thefts of his MLB career. Waldschmidt is more of a high-floor prospect than one with an enormous ceiling, but his well-rounded game gives him a chance to be a fantasy contributor in several categories. He’s shown evidence of that in this first week.

Waldschmidt capped off Arizona’s six-run explosion in the first inning with a two-run, opposite-field single with the bases loaded. He proceeded to swipe second base moments later to record his first career steal, but was left stranded in scoring position. The 23-year-old top prospect’s immediate fantasy appeal is capped by his perch at the bottom of Arizona’s lineup, but he’s off to a decent start overall, hitting .273 (6-for-22) with five RBI and one steal through seven games since being called up from Triple-A Reno last week.

Waldschmidt came up just shy of launching his first major-league homer when he tattooed a 412-foot fly ball to center field during Monday’s series opener at cavernous Globe Life Field. The 23-year-old top prospect remains at the bottom of Arizona’s lineup for the fourth time in five games since being called up from Triple-A Reno last week. It’s only a matter of time before he moves up towards the heart of the order based on his talent and opportunity to play everyday.

Waldschmidt’s 412-foot fly to center in the third would have been a homer in 18 ballparks, but it was an out at Globe Life field. Waldschmidt is now 3-for-11 since joining the Diamondbacks. He went without a strikeout tonight after fanning four times in his first eight at-bats.

The double off Tobias Myers was a 102-mph shot that traveled 404 feet to center. Waldschmidt is off to a 3-for-8 start, though he has struck out four times already. He played left field today after starting in center on Saturday. Jorge Barrosa was in center today.