SCOTTSDALE — The Arizona Diamondbacks optioned top prospect Jordan Lawlar and right-handed fireballer Drey Jameson to Triple-A Reno among a series of roster moves announced on Wednesday.
The D-backs also optioned left-handed reliever Kyle Nelson and reassigned non-roster first baseman Trey Mancini and relief pitcher Scott McGough to minor league camp.
Opening Day is on March 27, just over a week away, and the Diamondbacks are down to 35 players in big league camp.
Diamondbacks option Jordan Lawlar
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It seemed most likely from the beginning of spring the D-backs would start Lawlar in Triple-A for everyday playing time and call him up during the season.
The 22-year-old shortstop and No. 11 prospect ranked by MLB Pipeline dealt with an injury-plagued 2024 season. Thumb and hamstring issues limited him to 23 total games in the minor leagues after he debuted with Arizona in September 2023.
He made up reps in the Dominican Winter League and has been a standout performer in spring training. Cactus League stats are meant to be taken with a grain of salt, but he’s slashed .294/.368/.529 with five extra-base hits in 38 plate appearances. He’s driving the ball and showing off his 20-homer power from 2023. Adding plus speed, Lawlar looks the part of a potentially useful major leaguer going into the year.
The Diamondbacks have a loaded infield with set starters at each spot. Eugenio Suarez is the third baseman, recently extended Geraldo Perdomo at shortstop 2024 MVP finalist Ketel Marte at second and 2024 All-Star Josh Naylor at first.
There is an ongoing competition for the backup utility role. Garrett Hampson and Ildemaro Vargas continue to vie for that roster spot.
Lawlar has been working at shortstop and third base this spring, and the belief publicly is he will contribute to the big league club at some point this season.
Drey Jameson to start in the minors
Jameson has also turned heads this spring after missing all of 2024 following Tommy John surgery.
The 27-year-old has thrown 5.2 innings this spring with one earned run and four strikeouts, hitting 101 mph on the radar gun. His slider is a vital pitch and he’s worked on improving his changeup.
The question with Jameson was going to be how quickly can he recover from outing to outing, and the D-backs have wanted to be cautious with his build-up. Stretching him out to a starter has been a no-go.
Jameson has limited the time between outings to three days, but MLB relievers will have to throw back-to-backs or two of three games routinely, so it appears likely he has some boxes to check before joining the MLB group.
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