Alek Thomas Making The Start Over Jake McCarthy On Friday
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alex Thomas will make the start in center field over Jake McCarthy on Friday in the second game of the season against the visiting Chicago Cubs and right-hander Jameson Taillon at Chase Field. Thomas will bat seventh in the lineup. Thomas comes into 2025 looking to bounce back after a very disappointing 2024 campaign in which he played in only 39 games at the big-league level due to injuries and poor performance. In 103 plate appearances for Arizona, the 24-year-old left-handed hitter went just 18-for-95 (.189) with three home runs, 17 RBI and four stolen bases. Defense has been his calling card so far early in his career, but with a likely platoon role in Arizona's outfield this year, it's hard to get excited about him as anything more than outfield depth in NL-only leagues. Thomas is hitless in only two career at-bats against Taillon.
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas (oblique) was reinstated from the seven-day minor-league injured list at Triple-A Reno on Tuesday. In his return to the field with the Aces on Tuesday, Thomas went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. The 24-year-old has been out of action for the past month with a strained right oblique but is working his way back and could be able to rejoin the big-league roster before the end of the regular season at the end of September. If Thomas does rejoin the D-backs and they make the postseason, he'll likely be a bench player and potential late-game replacement for his defense in center field. Thomas has played in a career-low 37 games in Arizona in 2024 in his third year in the majors and has hit just .191 (18-for-94) with three homers, 17 RBI and four steals. Jake McCarthy has essentially taken over for Thomas at the big-league level.
The Arizona Diamondbacks optioned outfielder Alek Thomas to Triple-A Reno following Tuesday night's game against the Colorado Rockies and recalled rookie infielder Blaze Alexander from Reno in a corresponding move on Wednesday. Thomas has missed a big chunk of this season due to injury and wasn't swinging the bat well enough upon his return to warrant a roster spot at the big-league level, despite his excellent glove work. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter has batted just .191 (18-for-94) this year with three home runs, 17 RBI and four stolen bases in 37 games played in his third year in Arizona. Thomas' demotion is good news for Jake McCarthy, who has become a lineup regular for the Snakes in a breakout year. Alexander, meanwhile could see some starts at second base, including on Wednesday, with Ketel Marte nursing a low-grade ankle sprain.
With a left-hander on the mound for Monday's contest against the hosting Cleveland Guardians, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielders Joc Pederson and Alek Thomas will both get the day off. Ketel Marte will serve as the designated hitter and will bat leadoff, while Jake McCarthy will start in center field and will hit sixth versus Guardians lefty Logan Allen. Kevin Newman draws into the lineup at the keystone and will hit eighth for the Snakes. Pederson only has seen 25 plate appearances against lefties in 2024, so fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised that he's not starting on Monday. Against righties, though, he's been solid, hitting .289 (69-for-239) with 16 of his 17 home runs on the year. Thomas has only been afforded 81 at-bats this year due to injuries and is hitting a lowly .210 (17-for-81) with three homers, 17 RBI and three steals. He's not an option for fantasy managers in mixed leagues.
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates. The 24-year-old singled, walked, and drove in two runs during Friday's 9-8 win but will give way to Jake McCarthy for Saturday's contest. It has been another difficult season at the plate for Thomas as he has not only dealt with a hamstring injury but has also struggled at the plate. He is hitting just .208 with three homers, three stolen bases, and a .672 OPS across 83 trips to the plate. However, his .347 xwOBA is well beyond his .288 wOBA at the moment. While he hasn't provided much to fantasy managers this season, there is likely some positive regression to be had down the stretch.
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas hit a ninth-inning grand slam Friday, part of a six-run comeback for Arizona that gave them a brief 8-7 lead in the game, only to lose 10-8 after closer Paul Sewald gave up a pair of home runs in the bottom of the inning. The slam was Thomas' only hit in the contest and his second home run of the season. The 24-year-old has missed most of the season with an injured hamstring and was recently activated off the IL. He's 2-for-12 since activation but does offer some intriguing power-speed upside if he can stay healthy. Last season he hit nine home runs and stole nine bags in 374 at-bats, but also hit four more postseason home runs in just 54 at-bats and stole an additional two bases.
The Arizona Diamondbacks reinstated outfielder Alek Thomas (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned rookie infielder Blaze Alexander to Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. Thomas will also be reinserted right back into the team's starting lineup on Tuesday against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers, as he's playing center field and batting eighth against Dodgers right-hander Bobby Miller. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder will make his long-awaited return after straining his left hamstring all the way back on the fourth game of the season in early April. Expect the D-backs to ease Thomas back into the fold in center field against right-handed pitching. Thomas hasn't moved the needle much offensively in his first two years in the big leagues, so he's mostly an asset in NL-only leagues for his speed.
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas (hamstring) was scheduled to play for Triple-A Reno on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, according to assistant general manager Mike Fitzgerald. After that, the hope is that Thomas can return to the Diamondbacks, possibly for the series opener in Los Angeles against the division-rival Dodgers on Tuesday. In two games with the Aces already, Thomas has gone 1-for-7 and he's 8-for-20 overall on his minor-league rehab assignment, including a short stint in the Arizona Complex League. The 24-year-old could be eased back into the fold initially for the D-backs, but when fully healthy, he figures to play regularly in center field against right-handed pitching. So far, Thomas has been more useful to the Snakes for his glove in his three years in the big leagues, as he's currently slashing just .230/.273/.362 with 18 homers and 13 steals in 242 games.
Alek Thomas To Take Part In Live Batting Practice On Monday
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas (hamstring) played seven innings in center field and had three at-bats on Saturday in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and said his hamstring felt good. After an off day on Sunday, Thomas will take live batting practice against right-hander Zac Gallen (hamstring) on Monday and then head to Triple-A Reno for a minor-league rehab assignment. The D-backs are hoping Thomas will join the big-league roster for the June 28-30 series against the visiting Oakland Athletics. The 24-year-old center fielder had been scheduled to come off the injured list on May 7, but manager Torey Lovullo said Thomas felt something in his left hamstring after playing in a rehab game on May 5. He then received a platelet-rich plasma injection to alleviate swelling on May 13. When healthy, Thomas is a defense-first player for the Snakes.
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas (hamstring) will play in another Arizona Complex League game on Friday after the soreness in his injured hamstring subsided. Thomas reported "general soreness" in his hamstring earlier this week, which caused the Diamondbacks to temporarily pause his rehab assignment after he went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI in his first three games in the Arizona Complex League. The 24-year-old has recovered quickly from his soreness and will resume playing in minor-league games this weekend. If all goes well this weekend, he could move his rehab assignment to a higher affiliate next week. Since he's been out since April 1, the D-backs want to see him play in more games before activating him from the injured list. When Thomas is back, he should see regular playing time in center field against righties, but so far he's mostly been a glove guy in the big leagues.
Jake McCarthy
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Diamondbacks
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