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.