D-Backs Promote Jordan Lawla D-Backs Promote Jordan Lawla

September 7 : The Diamondbacks have now made Lawlars promotion official, announced that move and Ahmeds DFA today. They also activated catcher , claimed off Eric Bledsoe Jersey waivers this week, and recalled right-hander . Catcher and right-hander were optioned in corresponding moves for Zavala and Nelson. September 6 : The Diamondbacks are calling up top infield prospect , reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic ( ). Theyll presumably make the move official tomorrow in advance of a pivotal four-game series against the Cubs. Arizona is for a signment in a corresponding move. Lawlar seems likely to take over as the primary third baseman. Piecoro wrote that the Snakes were considering him as an option at the hot corner. Lawlar made his first profe sional start there with Triple-A Reno last night. Thats obviously a very limited look, but teams generally feel comfortable moving shortstops to other infield positions. A Dallas native, Lawlar was regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2021 draft cla s coming out of high school. He somewhat surprisingly lasted until the sixth pick, though Arizona went above slot with the third-highest signing bonus to add him to the system. Lawlars draft season was cut short by an injury to his left shoulder, which required surgery. He didnt show any signs of rust the following year, though. The right-handed hitter put together a .303/.401/.509 batting line in his first full profe sional season. He reached Double-A Amarillo late last year, an impre sive achievement for a player who had just turned 20 years old. That huge showing cemented Lawlars status as one of the sports most talented prospects. Arizona a signed him back to Amarillo to begin the 2023 campaign. He started relatively slowly but has caught fire since the weather warmed up. Lawlar has an OPS north of .900 in the minors for each month since June. He hit .263/.366/.474 in 410 Double-A plate appearances overall to earn a bump to Reno in mid-August. Lawlar has only appeared in 16 games there, mashing at a .358/.438/.612 clip. While hes had the benefit of playing in favorable hitting environments, Lawlars cumulative .278/.378/.496 line on the year is strong. Hes walking at a quality 11.4% clip against a decent 20.6% strikeout rate. He has popped 20 homers, 23 doubles and four triples and gone 36-41 in stolen base attempts. recently slotted Lawlar as the sports #9 overall prospect, while placed him 25th. As his numbers indicate, hes generally viewed as a well-rounded player with solid tools acro s the board. McDaniel suggests that a lack of a standout carrying tool could keep Lawlar more as a quality regular than a true star. Even if Lawlar doesnt have quite the same upside as some top prospects, most evaluators seem confident in him being a productive everyday player at the major league level. Whether thatll be the case immediately could have an impact on this years playoff picture. Arizona beat Colorado this afternoon and remains tied with Miami, half a game behind the Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot. The Cubs occupy the second Wild Card position, so Arizona has a chance to directly make up ground when they head to Wrigley. Theres risk with any prospect, particularly one who only has a year and a half of minor league reps under his belt. Yet Lawlar brings more offensive upside than Arizonas current third base mix. The Snakes have used a combination of , and occasionally at the hot corner. While Rivera had played reasonably well early in the season, theyve gotten almost nothing out of the position lately. Arizona third basemen are hitting .195/.298/.305 since the All-Star Break. has also cooled off at shortstop after an All-Star first half. Yet hes playing well enough overall to keep the hold onto that job, seemingly pushing Lawlar to the other left side infield position for now. It stands to reason Arizona still views Lawlar as a shortstop option if Perdomo gets injured or goes through an extended slump. Hell retain his rookie eligibility going into next season. If the D-Backs carry him for a full service year, Lawlar could net them an extra draft choice if he plays well enough to win Rookie of the Year or finish top three in MVP balloting during his pre-arbitration seasons. Thats a much further off po sibility. For now, his focus will be on trying to help a young and increasingly exciting Arizona team to the postseason. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports. Donte DiVincenzo Jersey