The Arizona Diamondbacks will lose Jordan Lawlar for 6-8 weeks after he broke his wrist in the April 2 game against the Atlanta Braves. He was taken out of the game after being hit by a pitch in the seventh inning. Lawlar began the season as the Diamondbacks starting left fielder. He has had a good start to the season batting .333/.400/.556.
Yesterday’s game against the Braves features a career highlight for Lawlar. He hit his first major league home run. However, the evening marks another setback in what has been a tumultuous career for the former sixth overall pick.
Jordan Lawlar Extends His Injury History
GettyThis is the fifth injury of Lawlar’s career.
After Diamondbacks drafted Lawlar in the 2021 MLB draft, they sent him to the Rookie League in Arizona. Two games later, a torn posterior labrum forced him to get shoulder surgery, which ended his season.
Lawlar came back in 2022 and solidified himself as a top 10 prospect in baseball over the next two years. In two minor league seasons, he batted .290/.390/.502 through A to AAA. He quickly rose through the Diamondbacks farm system.
In September 2023, the Diamondbacks called him up to the major league roster. He played with the team throughout the playoffs as well towards their World Series appearance against the Texas Rangers. He had a minimal role and batted .129/.209/.129 in 34 plate appearances.
During 2024 spring training, Lawlar ruptured a UCL ligament in his thumb that caused him to miss the first few months of the season. He failed to make the opening day roster that season, so the injury prolonged his development.
Lawlar came back in June 2024 but quickly injured his hamstring in AAA and lost even more time. The setbacks continued when he tried to come back from that injury a month later, which ended his season.
Fortunately for Lawlar, 2025 marked a return to form in the minor leagues, where he batted .313/.403/.564 over 300 plate appearances in 64 games. However, his hamstring injury came back and caused him to miss a month of the season.
Eventually, Lawlar played a significant role for the Diamondbacks to end the season when they called him up for September. He batted .182/.257/.288 in 74 plate appearances.
Lawlar Changes From an Infielder to an Outfielder
GettyJordan Lawlar has now become a left fielder.
Lawlar came into the minor leagues as a shortstop. However, the Diamondbacks also have an all star shortstop in Geraldo Perdomo, who had his best season in 2025. Perdomo batted .290/.389/.462 with 20 home runs last year, which was the first time he hit double digit home runs in his career. He has always been known as a plus defender.
Because of Perdomo, the Diamondbacks needed a new position for Lawlar. After getting called up to end the season last year, the Diamondbacks played Lawlar mainly a third base. Their starting third baseman earlier was Eugenio Suarez, who the Diamondbacks traded to the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline.
That would not be Lawlar’s job for long as the Diamondbacks traded for Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals. Lawlar has transitioned into becoming an outfielder, which the coaching staff believes to be a good adjustment.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, “He’s going to get some outfield work. He’s going to continue to improve in that space, in that area where he’s been so effective. He’s taken on that position, the left field and center field positions very, very well.”
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