Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop prospect Jordan Lawlar (thumb) wasted little time in his return from the injured list. In his 2024 debut with Triple-A Reno, the talented shortstop homered, doubled, and drove in three runs, coming up a triple short of hitting for the cycle. He was reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday after being on the shelf all season with a torn ligament in his right thumb. Lawlar is the No. 8 overall prospect in baseball and the top-ranked shortstop prospect. Splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A last season, the 21-year-old showed off his power-speed potential with 20 home runs and 36 stolen bases to go with aa.874 OPS. An elite prospect, Lawlar should force his way to the Diamondbacks' big-league roster this season. Not many players are ahead of him on the stash list for minor leaguers, as he should be an impact waiver wire add when he gets the call to the show.

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop and No. 1 prospect Jordan Lawlar (thumb) is nearing a return to Triple-A Reno. Lawlar returned to action this past Friday after missing the entire season after undergoing surgery on his right thumb. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo alluded to the fact that Lawlar will need to shake off some rust, but he should find himself back in the big leagues when he is healthy. Lawlar, 21, is one of the most exciting prospects in the game and offers five-tool potential. The youngster made his big-league debut in 2023 for the Diamondbacks but struggled with four hits in 31 at-bats. It was a very small sample size for Lawlar, though and fantasy managers shouldn't put too much stock into that performance. As one of the top prospects in the game, managers in all formats should be keeping tabs on his return, as he has the ability to be a difference-maker down the stretch. Once he returns, expect Kevin Newman and Blaze Alexander to see less playing time.

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop prospect Jordan Lawlar (thumb) began his rehab assignment on Wednesday with the team's Arizona Complex League affiliate, going 0-for-2 with a walk in his first game of 2024. The 21-year-old will be eligible to come off the injured list in a couple weeks but may begin with Triple-A Reno once activated. The former first-round pick hit well enough in Double-A and Triple-A last season to earn a promotion to the big-league club but wasn't able to do much with his playing time. He went 4-for-31 (.129) in 14 games, even picking up a pair of plate appearances during the postseason for Arizona (0-for-1 with a walk). Lawlar ranks as the team's top prospect and ninth overall prospect in all of baseball. Despite the initial showing in the majors, he still has offensive upside and should continue to be stashed where possible.

Arizona Diamondbacks farm director Shaun Larkin said shortstop prospect Jordan Lawlar (thumb) will play in rehab games next week and is on track to return from his thumb injury in two weeks. He underwent surgery in late March to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. The 21-year-old is on the 60-day injured list and could be optioned to Triple-A Reno to get consistent at-bats instead of the big leagues once activated. He slashed .129/.206/.129 with two runs and a stolen base across 14 games for the Diamondbacks in 2023. Lawlar has a ton of upside after hitting 15 homers and 33 bases in Double-A last year, and fantasy managers with an open roster spot can continue to stash the top prospect in most leagues.

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Jordan Lawlar (thumb) tore a ligament in his right thumb while trying to pick up a ball off the ground during a minor-league spring training game on Sunday and will need surgery, which will sideline him for at least the first two months of the season. It's bad news for the team's top prospect, who is slated to open the year at Triple-A Reno. He will have surgery on Thursday and could have a "full return to baseball activity in eight to 10 weeks," farm director Shaun Larkin said. The 21-year-old is the future at the shortstop position for the D-backs, but this injury news makes it very hard to recommend stashing the young infielder in single-year fantasy leagues because of the fact that if he does join the Snakes in the big league in 2024, it probably won't be until the tail end of the season now.

The Arizona Diamondbacks optioned shortstop Jordan Lawlar to Triple-A Reno on Sunday. There was some hope that Lawlar, Arizona's No. 1 prospect and baseball's No. 11 prospect for 2024 per MLB Pipeline, would open the year in the major leagues following a promotion in late 2023. After he hit just .129 (4-for-31) in the bigs last season and .176 (3-for-17) during spring training this year, however, the D-backs have decided Lawlar may need a little more time to develop in the minors. The 21-year-old former No. 6 overall pick is certainly the club's future shortstop, but fantasy managers will have to wait a bit longer to see the speedy infielder in action for 2024. Following a surprise All-Star campaign, the switch-hitting Geraldo Perdomo will man short in the desert for the time being. While Lawlar is not a must-hold player in redraft leagues, he could be called up early in the season and belongs on all watchlists.

Arizona Diamondbacks infielders Jordan Lawlar and Blaze Alexander are candidates to be the team's starting shortstop in 2024 behind Geraldo Perdomo, who earned the starting job after a strong 2023 campaign. General manager Mike Hazen said that for the D-backs to keep Lawlar on the roster this year, there has to be a path to regular and consistent at-bats for him. But with Perdomo at the 6 and Eugenio Suarez at third, there aren't really enough at-bats for Lawlar to continue his development in the big leagues. The same goes for Alexander. While the 21-year-old Lawlar has a very high ceiling in the long-term, and he's already a defensive whiz at shortstop, it's more likely than not that he'll open up the 2024 season at Triple-A Reno.