Diamondbacks reportedly recalling top prospect Jordan Lawlar for first time since 2023 after injury delays

The Arizona Diamondbacks are bringing top prospect Jordan Lawlar back to the majors, reports the Arizona Republic. 

The 22-year-old Lawlar has been in the majors before. He appeared in 14 games late in 2023 and then also saw very limited action on the roster in the NLDS, NLCS and World Series that same season. The expectation at the time was that he was simply getting his feet wet before more extensive action in 2024, but last season injuries held him to only 104 plate appearances in 23 minor-league games.

This season, Lawlar has played in 37 games for Triple-A Reno. He’s hitting .336/.413/.579 with 15 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 31 RBI, 38 runs and 13 stolen bases. He’s seen time in the field at second base, third base and shortstop. 

While the move is not yet official, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo spoke Sunday about the possible promotion of Lawlar and how they’d squeeze in playing time for him, given the presence of everyday players Ketel Marte (2B), Eugenio Suárez (3B) and Geraldo Perdomo (SS). Lovullo offered up a plan where Lawlar could rotate between the positions, giving each of those players days off. 

“My questions are — I know he’s going to impact the game offensively, but you can’t totally count on that all the time — what’s he going to do defensively?” Lovullo said. “Is he able to move around comfortably and play three positions and make his plays? The answer is yes.”

Even with Lawlar’s flexibility, Lovullo conceded that he may only be playing four days a week, but said he didn’t think that would be a problem for the youngster’s development.

Heading into the 2025 season, CBS Sports prospect guru R.J. Anderson named Lawlar the ninth-best prospect in all of baseball and No. 1 for the Diamondbacks, saying the following: 

Lawlar was limited to just 23 regular-season games, all on the minor-league side, by a combination of hamstring and thumb injuries. He’ll now enter his fourth full professional season having yet to appear in more than 119 games in a single year. Lawlar nonetheless remains a compelling prospect. He offers plus defense at the six as well as above-average power and speed tools that should more than offset his swing-and-miss tendencies. If Lawlar’s body allows, he should spend most of the upcoming season serving as Arizona’s everyday shortstop. 

Arizona is 21-20 this season, sitting fourth place in the tough NL West, six games out of first place.