As spring training begins for the Arizona Diamondbacks, one topic coming up is Jordan Lawlar’s need to stay healthy. The infielder is the organization’s top prospect for the second year in a row. However, injuries have plagued him throughout his brief career.
Jordan Lawlar Facing Pressure to Stay Healthy for Diamondbacks
Injuries
Lawlar’s injuries have been plenty. From a labrum tear to a wrist injury to a fractured scapula, he has seen his fair share in three years. Things looked good when he came out of spring training healthy in 2024. However, he tore the ligaments in his thumb and missed the first two months of the season. Four games after his return, he injured his left hamstring. He returned from that in July, but re-injured the hamstring while on a rehab assignment, forcing him to miss two more months. All in all, Lawlar was only able to play in 23 minor league games last season due to those injuries.
MLB Experience
Even with the plague of injuries, Lawlar does have some MLB experience. He appeared in 14 games and played in three postseason games during Arizona’s 2023 World Series run. He did not hit well and did not look ready at the plate overall. Lawlar did, however, show he could field the shortstop position, posting 27 assists and 15 putouts in 77 innings.
Jordan Lawlar, Geraldo Perdomo and Josh Naylor on the infield this morning. pic.twitter.com/DEXvE00imI
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) February 10, 2025
Restore His Value
As of now, there is some good news. The 22-year-old played in the Dominican Winter League and looked good early on, reporting no setbacks from his earlier injuries. However, Jordan Lawlar needs to stay healthy. As he enters camp, he will be looking to restore his value. At only 22, he is certainly still regarded as a highly-rated prospect. He has good range along with gifted and promising arm strength—when healthy and playing. Still, he will need more time to develop and improve his offensive game. He needs more at-bats before he is fully ready to take on major league pitching. That means he needs to stay healthy in order to get the playing time necessary to gain experience and improve his game.
Needs to Play Everyday
It would be best if Lawlar is an everyday player in 2025. However, it would be a surprise if he made Arizona’s Opening Day roster. It really is not in his best interest to be a bench player on the big-league roster given how much time he missed last season. Look for him to start the season at Triple-A Reno, where he will get more play and experience.
High Hopes
The Diamondbacks still have high hopes for Jordan Lawlar. They still believe he will eventually have a significant role and influence with the organization. He needs time to improve his game and gain more experience with daily play. He also needs to get his bat going. To do that, however, he needs to remain injury-free. If he can do all that, Lawlar can reach his potential and ultimately establish himself as an everyday MLB player.
Photo Credit: © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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