Arizona Diamondbacks farm director Shaun Larkins said that Jordan Lawlar will undergo surgery Thursday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He could have a full return to baseball activity in eight to ten weeks, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. Lawlar is Arizona’s top prospect and he was sent to Triple-A Reno on March 10. He could have put himself in the conversation for an early-season call-up if he had gotten off to a strong start at the plate during the Pacific Coast League season. However, after jamming his thumb and tearing a ligament, he’ll be sidelined until early June at the latest.
“We’re expecting a full recovery,” Larkin said. “He’ll be ready to go when the time is right and we expect good things from him once he’s back.”
Diamondbacks Jordan Lawlar Sidelined After Thumb Surgery
Lawlar made his MLB debut last season, raking in 36 plate appearances across 14 regular season games. He hit .129/.206/.129 in that span as the DBacks are going with Geraldo Perdomo as their primary shortstop to start the season. The sixth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Lawlar has quickly gone through the minor league ranks, playing 105 games in the farm between Double-A and Triple-A. He hit 20 home runs and drew 11.4 percent walks in his plate appearances. His .278/.378/.396 batting line in those two minor league levels complimented his 36 stolen bases in 41 tries.
Another Top Prospect Is Out with an Injury
Kristian Robinson is another well-known prospect in the system. The outfielder is currently missing time after spraining his right shoulder joint. It happened on March 16 when he crashed into the wall in a spring training game. Robinson isn’t far off from doing baseball activities, which is positive. He could be available to make his season debut at some point in April. As soon as he’s healthy, Robinson will likely go to Double-A Amarillo, where played five games last season after stops at Single-A Visalia and High-A Hillsboro.
The Hype Around Lawlar
The hype around Lawlar is real. He is No. 7 overall at Baseball America and No. 11 at MLB Pipeline while Keith Law of The Athletic has him at the No. 4 spot. Lawlar can be a strong defender, his all-around contributions are what make him a great prospect. Unfortunately, it’s the second hit to the shortstop depth for the DBacks today. Kevin Newman opting out of his minor league deal.
Main Photo: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
