Lawlar falls triple shy of cycle for Hops

It will be a year ago, later this month, when Jordan Lawlar’s professional debut lasted two games before having to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, but now the player is fully healthy and showing the potential the D-backs saw in him last year.

The No. 2 Diamondbacks prospect has impressed in his second stint at the High-A level and continued that Sunday as he went 4-for-6 with one homer, three runs and four RBIs in High-A Hillsboro’s 14-11 win over Everett.

Lawler had some initial struggles when he originally was promoted in July when he slashed .095/.136/.190 in six games, which led him to being sent down to Single-A for three games. The second callup has been much different as he has improved his numbers in his 11 games back at High-A, where he is now slashing .244/.289/.410.

Lawlar’s adjustment and comfort with the new level of baseball could be seen in Sunday’s game. The 20-year-old’s first at-bat did not go well as he struck out in the first inning, but the rest of the night he was productive at the plate.

Lawlar was a triple shy of the cycle as he hit a single in the third and seventh inning, double in the fifth inning and capped it with a two-run homer in the ninth inning. The outfielder’s long ball to left field in his final at-bat has shown his power development, as he has now tallied 11 homers on the season.

Games like Sunday show why Lawlar was selected by the D-backs in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft with the sixth pick and signed for an above-slot $6.71 million deal. He did show his capability of being a five-tool shortstop early as he went 2-for-5 with a double over two games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.

Lawlar, then, had to face his first career obstacle as he underwent a season-ending shoulder injury to repair a posterior labrum tear. He was sidelined for months, but returned in 2022 and showed that he was healthy early in the season as he split time in Single-A and Rookie-level.

The numbers Lawlar has posted in ACL, slashed .368/.500/.526 in six games, and Visalia, slashed .351/.447/.603 and stolen 24 bases over 44 games, prompted the call to Hillsboro. The Texas native has started to produce numbers he can at High-A, as he is 19-for-78 with five doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs, and shown why the future is bright for D-backs at the shortstop position.