The Diamondbacks acquisition of a future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado (and their decision not to trade Ketel Marte) pushed higher long-term optimism Jordan Lawler outside of the club’s internal mix, at least on paper. That led to some questions about his role going forward, but manager Torey Lovullo revealed to reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZ Sports) yesterday where the team hopes to play Lawlar going forward: center. That will eliminate the middle linebacker Alex ThomasLovullo suggested that he would wander off the field amid the injury Lourdes Gurriel Jr. again Corbin Carroll.
Of course, that plan to play Lawlar in center field hinges on him proving he can handle the position this spring. He played three games in center field in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, but otherwise spent his entire professional career in the dirt. His 98th percentile sprint speed in 2025 certainly suggests he has the wheels to handle the position, giving plenty of reason for optimism, but that lack of experience calls into question how well he’ll be able to take the position on the fly. It wouldn’t be the first time a team has turned away a chance to play professional ball during spring training, as the division rival Padres managed to do just that Jackson Merrill two years ago. Merrill turned in one of the best defensive seasons in the entire sport as a rookie, and should provide some hope for Lawlar’s ability to follow suit.
Perhaps the biggest question for Lawlar is not whether he can handle the court, but whether he can stay on the court long enough to prove it. Between Triple-A and the majors, Lawlar has only played in 113 games over the past two seasons due to various injuries. Last season, he missed several months with a pulled hamstring, and a thumb injury cost him nearly 2024. Between those injuries, he has struggled in the big leagues but has been able to continue to shine in Triple-A, giving some reason to hope that he will perform offensively if given consistent playing time. Now he will get that playing time at the expense of Thomas, who was once a great player but never hit well in the majors with a career 74 wRC+ that went up to 81 last season. Thomas helps celebrate Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawaand maybe unregistered invitees like it Ildemaro Vargas again Ryan Waldschmidt in mixing and matching in the corners while Carroll and Gurriel are off duty.
Turning to the pitching staff, the ace-right-hander Corbin Burns he missed most of his first season in Arizona due to Tommy John surgery but the numbers contributed after he completed his rehab sometime this year. Burnes himself spoke to reporters (video link via MLB.com) about his return timeline yesterday, and suggested he expects to return in time for the All-Star break. Burnes added that he plans to do so “try to do it [back] immediately,” although considering he went under the knife in June that might be a tall order given the usual recovery timeline. Adding Burnes back into the rotation will obviously be a big boost. The former Cy Young award winner had a 2.66 ERA in 11 starts last year (albeit with some poor results) and ranked in the top 10 in Cy Young voting the past five seasons before his injury-plagued 2025 campaign.
Burnes will be working at running back alongside the team’s top two utilities, Justin Martinez again AJ Puk. It looks like his proposed timeline falls between the two arms of the franchise, as explained by the players themselves in comments made to AZ Sports. Martinez suggested that he expects to return in August of this year, although he agreed. “It could be earlier, it could be later” it depends on how things go from here. He had Tommy John surgery in June, as did Burnes. Puk also went under the knife in June, but underwent a non-invasive internal graft procedure. The southpaw told reporters he hopes to return by the end of May, but admitted that’s not true. However, he expressed confidence that he will return to action before the second half, hinting that he may be looking to play again at some point in June.
Adding Puk and Martinez back to the relief staff could have a big impact for the Diamondbacks given their struggles to find top-notch relief this year. The team figures to return more or less the same group of assistants they finished with last year, such as undrafted invitees. Jonathan Loaisiga figures to be the most impactful tight end added to the roster during the offseason. Loaisiga has struggled to stay healthy over the years, and while he has a career 3.54 ERA at the major league level he struggled last year with worrisome average results (including a 5.83 FIP) in 30 appearances for the Yankees.
While Burnes, Puk, and Martinez will all spend Spring Training rehabbing their injured elbows, the first baseman. Carlos Santana stats to prepare for the World Baseball Classic. Santana was one of several players who could not get insurance to play in the World Baseball Classic, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Diamondbacks have decided to give Santana the green light to play in the tournament without insurance. He will represent the Dominican Republic along with his teammate Ketel Marte as well Geraldo Perdomoand Hazen indicated that giving Santana a chance to bond with his new teammates over the shared experience of representing his country was a factor in the team’s decision to take the financial risk of the 40-year veteran getting injured. Santana is expected to make $2MM this year on his one-year deal with Arizona, and Rosenthal notes that, according to club GM Mike Hazen, Santana’s ability to be a clubhouse leader and guide other players on the team was a big part of why he was signed.
