Diamondbacks send Josh Rojas to minors, recall Alek Thomas

MILWAUKEE — Slumping Arizona Diamondbacks utilityman Josh Rojas is heading to the minors.

The Diamondbacks optioned Rojas to Triple-A Reno after Sunday’s recreation with the Cleveland Guardians and recalled outfielder Alek Thomas from Reno on Monday.

Rojas, who turns 29 on June 30, was batting .235 with no homers and 26 RBIs in 57 video games whereas primarily enjoying third base. He had an OPS of .607, down from .739 in 2022 and .752 in 2021.

Since the beginning of May, Rojas has batted .188.

“I think he was just a far cry from the player he was, and that’s what I explained to him,” Diamondbacks supervisor Torey Lovullo stated earlier than Monday’s recreation at Milwaukee. “I stated, ‘You’re going to go down, get in your ft once more, hopefully get 40-60 very constant at-bats, get some rhythm to your swing, get a really feel for the sport and are available again up right here and assist us win.’ “

Lovullo stated Rojas had been engaged on some mechanical changes on the plate however famous that it hadn’t paid off in his outcomes. Rojas had remodeled 500 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2021 and 2022.

“One thing I told him is, ‘Our best team, our best 26, has you on it,’” Lovullo said. “But not at the pace, how you’re playing right now, that’s not going to help anybody. He understood. He was disappointed. He understood.”

Lovullo stated Emmanuel Rivera’s progress additionally performed a task within the resolution. Rivera is batting .325 with one homer and 17 RBIs in 37 video games, primarily at third base.

Thomas, 23, has batted .195 with a .252 on-base share, two homers and 10 RBIs in 39 video games with Arizona this season however made progress after getting despatched to the minors. Thomas hit .348 with a .409 on-base share, .518 slugging share, three homers and 31 RBIs in 26 video games with Reno.

The Diamondbacks (43-29) lead the NL West though Rojas, Thomas and outfielder Jake McCarthy all have hung out within the minors this season after showing in no less than 99 video games for Arizona final 12 months. McCarthy was recalled final month after an early-season droop despatched him to Reno.

“If you told me that at the beginning of the year and we’d be (14) games above .500, I’d tell you you’re probably drinking too much wine, too much red wine (and) I am too,” Lovullo stated. “It just goes to show you anything is possible in this game, because guys have emerged.”

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