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Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Pops homer in spring debut
Rotowire
Lawlar started in center field and went 1-for-2 with a walk and solo home run in Saturday's spring game against the Rockies.
Lawlar won an eight-pitch battle, delivering a solo home run to left field off Valente Bellozo in the second inning. He's set to see a lot of time in center field this spring, as Alek Thomas will cover left field for the injured Lourdes Gurriel (knee). Once all of Arizona's injured outfielders return, including right fielder Corbin Carroll (hand), Lawlar could earn playing time as the right-handed hitting complement to Thomas in center and in left field when Gurriel operates as the designated hitter.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Live BP cancelled due to back issue
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Kelly will no longer throw live BP Saturday because of mid-back tightness, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Kelly is battling back tightness and won't throw his previously scheduled live BP session. The veteran right-hander will undergo further testing in the next 24 hours, at which point a status update will likely be provided. Kelly has already been named the Diamondbacks' Opening Day starter.
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Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Will start opener in CF
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Lawlar will start in center field in Arizona's Cactus League opener Saturday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
This will be Lawlar's first start in center field in a Diamondbacks' uniform. He was given reps in center during winter ball and has been working with outfielders during spring drills. As part of the team's adjustment to being without injured outfielders Corbin Carroll (hand) and Lourdes Gurriel (knee) for rest of spring training, Lawlar is expected to see time in the outfield in camp and into the regular season.
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Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Throws live BP session
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Gallen threw a live batting-practice session Friday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Gallen, who was signed last week, threw his first session since entering camp. He threw about 20 pitches, and manager Torey Lovullo was pleased with what he saw. "The fastball command looked good," the manager said. "It looked like he was throwing a nice cutter, his breaking ball I think was trending in a very positive direction." It appears that Gallen isn't too far behind the other starters despite missing the first handful of days in camp. The pitcher said he felt good and was given positive feedback from the batters he faced.
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Diamondbacks' Geraldo Perdomo: Three PAs in spring opener
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Perdomo batted second and went 1-for-3 in Friday's Cactus League opener against the Rockies.
Perdomo should be a regular presence in spring lineups over the next two weeks, before he joins the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. He's expected to bat leadoff against right-handers and second against left-handers for Arizona during the regular season.
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Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: Hitless in Cactus League opener
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Marte batted leadoff and went 0-for-3 in Friday's spring game against Colorado.
Marte should get significant plate appearances over the next two weeks before he leaves camp to participate in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic. Leadoff is a familiar spot for Marte, who served atop the batting order 40 times in 2025. When not leading off, Marte is expected to bat second.
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Diamondbacks' Nolan Arenado: Homers in preseason opener
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Arenado went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Friday's Cactus League opener against the Rockies.
It might seem odd that a starting position player would play in the first spring game, but Arenado needs to get the work in before suiting up for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Arenado is looking for a bounce-back season in the desert after two consecutive seasons of diminished power.
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Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll: Team preparing for quick return
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The Diamondbacks are preparing for Carroll (hand) to return by or soon after Opening Day, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
The team isn't saying it out loud, but they believe Carroll's track record of healing quickly and work ethic makes Opening Day a real possibility. Another clue is how the Diamondbacks are preparing the outfield with both Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel (knee) sidelined. The original plan floated by manager Torey Lovullo was to have center fielder Alek Thomas cover right field until Carroll was back, but early in camp, Thomas has been lining up in left field, where he could play until Gurriel returns. Of the two injured outfielders, the sense is that Gurriel is likely to need more time than Carroll.
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Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel: Continues push for Opening Day
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Gurriel (knee) took live batting practice Tuesday and ran the bases, indicating his return is ahead of schedule, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Gurriel's stated goal is to be ready for Opening Day -- it's the first thing he mentioned to manager Torey Lovullo upon his arrival in camp -- but the manager's comments suggest more caution. Lovullo stated he was blown away by how Gurriel has looked early on, but then added, "I will say, right now, we're going to take it as slowly as we possibly need to, and then plug in where we can." It appears the Diamondbacks are preparing for Gurriel to miss time early in the regular season. Alek Thomas has taken reps in left field -- Gurriel's normal position -- instead of right field. It was initially thought Thomas could fill in for injured right fielder Corbin Carroll (hand), but the club is optimistic Carroll can return in time for the opener.
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Diamondbacks' Ryan Thompson: Addresses pitch-tipping issue
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Thompson said he addressed an issue of tipping pitches that impacted him early in 2025, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
Thompson was uncharacteristically ineffective over the first 19 outings last season, leaving a May 19 appearance with a 7.50 ERA while allowing 2.0 home runs per nine innings. Once the side-armer discovered he was tipping pitches and addressed the issue, Thompson finished with a stretch of 29 games during which he posted a 1.16 ERA and did not allow a home run over 23.1 innings. The right-hander enters spring training as part of an unsettled bullpen without a closer and could pick up save opportunities on 2026. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo included Thompson along with Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald as potential closers.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Ginkel: Lovullo wants defined closer
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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo mentioned Ginkel, Paul Sewald and Ryan Thompson as candidates to emerge as the club's closer, Alex D'Agostino of SI.com reports.
"I mean it's probably simple arithmetic for you guys to figure out," Lovullo said. "I'm just going to go kind of blind here, but Sewald, Ginkel, Thompson, all those guys that have had that experience in big moments... they're all wanting to do it." Lovullo added that he would like to establish a defined closer, though it's unclear whether he plans to name one before Opening Day. A.J. Puk (elbow) and Justin Martinez (elbow) could also figure into the closer mix when they return, though the latter won't be back until late in the season, if at all. Ginkel had a disastrous, injury-shortened 2025 season, posting a 7.36 ERA and 29:13 K:BB over 25.2 innings. He's healthy now, however, and from 2023-2024 he held a 2.86 ERA and 147:38 K:BB across 135.1 regular-season frames.
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Diamondbacks' Paul Sewald: In mix to close for Arizona
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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo listed Sewald, Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson as candidates to emerge as the team's closer, Alex D'Agostino of SI.com reports.
"I mean it's probably simple arithmetic for you guys to figure out," Lovullo said. "I'm just going to go kind of blind here, but Sewald, Ginkel, Thompson, all those guys that have had that experience in big moments... they're all wanting to do it." Lovullo prefers to establish a defined closer, though it's unclear whether he intends to name one prior to Opening Day. A.J. Puk (elbow) and Justin Martinez (elbow) should also be in the closer mix when they return. Sewald was the Diamondbacks' closer when they won the National League pennant in 2023 and opened the 2024 season in the role before eventually losing it. The veteran righty held a 4.58 ERA and 20:6 K:BB between the Guardians and Tigers during an injury-shortened 2025 season.
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Diamondbacks' Ryan Thompson: Among frontrunners to close
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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo mentioned Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald when asked who could fill the team's closer job, Alex D'Agostino of SI.com reports.
"I mean it's probably simple arithmetic for you guys to figure out," Lovullo said. "I'm just going to go kind of blind here, but Sewald, Ginkel, Thompson, all those guys that have had that experience in big moments... they're all wanting to do it." D'Agostino writes that while Sewald, Ginkel and Thompson are the "likely frontrunners" for the gig, Lovullo was "emphatic that no roles will be handed to anyone." A.J. Puk (elbow) should also be in the mix to close when he returns around midseason, and Justin Martinez (elbow) will be a candidate if he makes it back late in the year. Lovullo noted that he prefers to have a defined closer, though it's unclear whether he plans to name one before Opening Day. Thompson has notched a total of four saves in his two-and-a-half regular seasons in Arizona, collecting a 3.21 ERA and 97:29 K:BB over 120.2 innings.
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Diamondbacks' Tyler Locklear: Aiming for mid-May return
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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Sunday that Locklear (shoulder/elbow) is trending toward a return around mid-May to early June, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Locklear will be a spectator for spring training while he continues to recover from Oct. 16 surgeries to address a torn labrum in his left shoulder and a torn ligament in his left elbow. Before suffering the two arm injuries in a Sept. 7 collision at first base with Boston's Connor Wong, Locklear slashed .175/.267/.262 with a 37.1 percent strikeout rate over 116 plate appearances with Arizona after coming over from Seattle in a trade-deadline deal. Locklear has a minor-league option remaining, so he could end up sticking around with Arizona's Triple-A affiliate in Reno once he completes his rehab process and gets activated from the injured list.
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Diamondbacks' Adrian Del Castillo: Status in doubt for Opening Day
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Del Castillo said Monday that he expects to be sidelined for around one month due to his left calf injury, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
While Del Castillo is hopeful that he'll be able to play in at least one Cactus League game or exhibition before the beginning of the regular season, the extended time he'll miss this spring could end up costing him a spot on the Opening Day roster. Arizona is expected to head into the season with Gabriel Moreno and James McCann as its top two catchers, so Del Castillo would merely provide a third option at the position and would likely see most of his playing time at designated hitter. Because the 26-year-old still has a pair of minor-league options remaining, the Diamondbacks may prefer to option Del Castillo to Triple-A Reno, which would allow him to play on a more regular basis once he overcomes the calf issue.
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Diamondbacks' Michael Soroka: Could land in relief role
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Soroka might open the season in the bullpen, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
The Diamondbacks enter spring training well stocked in the rotation but with an unsettled outlook in the bullpen. Soroka, signed by Arizona as a free agent in December, made 17 starts for the Nationals and Cubs in 2025 before a shoulder injury limited him to relief work over the final two weeks of the regular season. Built into Soroka's contract are incentives that reward him for starts or relief appearances -- two points for every start, one point for a relief outing. He will earn $250,000 each for reaching 10 and 20 points, $425,000 each for reaching 30 and 40, and $650,000 for reaching 50. Barring a significant injury, the 28-year-old right-hander could reach those incentives as a full-time starter or reliever or a combination of the two roles.
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Diamondbacks' A.J. Puk: Moves to 60-day IL
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The Diamondbacks placed Puk (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.
The left-hander will be unavailable for at least the first couple months of 2026 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so his move to the 60-day IL is just a procedural move. After reporting for spring training last week, Puk said that he expects to make his season debut before July.
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Diamondbacks' Grant Holman: Catches on with Arizona
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The Diamondbacks claimed Holman (finger) off waivers from the Athletics on Sunday.
The addition of Holman gives the Diamondbacks an intriguing developmental arm out of the bullpen. Though he struggled to a 5.09 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB over 23 innings in the big leagues with the Athletics last season, the 6-foot-6 Holman boasts a four-pitch mix and long levers that helped him finish in the 94th percentile in extension, per Aaron Hughes of SI.com. Arizona placed A.J. Puk (elbow) on the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Holman.
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Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes: Heading to 60-day IL
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The Diamondbacks placed Burnes (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.
The move was merely procedural, as Burnes is targeting a season debut around the All-Star break while he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Zac Gallen, who re-signed with Arizona on a one-year deal.
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Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Named Opening Day starter
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Manager Torey Lovullo said Saturday that Kelly will start the Diamondbacks' March 26 season opener versus the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
The 37-year-old entered camp as the favorite for the Opening Day nod, but the re-signing of Zac Gallen on Friday made the decision less obvious. Kelly posted a 3.22 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 128.2 innings with Arizona last season but failed to match that production after being traded to Texas, where he put up a 4.23 ERA across 55.1 frames.
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