PHOENIX -- Hours before his team would suffer a disappointing 5-4 loss to the Reds, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo sat in the interview room and outlined how he was going to handle two of the organization's top young players.

With catcher Carson Kelly having returned from the injured list, Lovullo faced a decision with what to do with Daulton Varsho, who had switched from center field to catcher to fill in for Kelly.

Taking Varsho's place in center at the time was Alek Thomas, who opened the year as the organization's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

Varsho had played outstanding defense in center, learning the position on the fly during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season after spending the bulk of his pro career catching.

Thomas had played well in center as well as at the plate during his time in the Major Leagues.

In order to get both their bats in the lineup, Lovullo had to ask one of them to shift to right field.

After going back and forth in his mind for the last week, Lovullo settled on Varsho being the one to move to right.

"For right now, he's going to get the majority of his innings there in right field," Lovullo explained. "I don't want to predict how it's going to shake out. There's a lot of moving parts to how I construct lineups around here. So, for right now, he's going to get a lot of at-bats in right field and we'll see how that looks."

It wasn't an easy decision for Lovullo nor did he enjoy breaking the news to Varsho.

"I've had very candid discussions with Daulton and we've been open and honest with one another," Lovullo said. "This is a team move. He's been our starting center fielder, our starting catcher and now our starting right fielder. It's been a team move the entire way and that's who he is."

Lovullo said that he regards Thomas as 1A in center and Varsho as 1A as well.

"I've asked a lot of people around me," Lovullo added, "and we feel like this is going to give us the best opportunity to put two center fielders on the field at the same time that are going to run a lot of baseballs down. That's the bottom line. It's not an easy decision. I think they're both very, very good defenders. [Varsho] took it okay. As expected I think he's a little bit frustrated but he said well, basically when I walk out the door I'll be ready to go."

Varsho spent time during batting practice shagging balls in right field and talking with outfield coach Dave McKay.

McKay is regarded as one of the best outfield coaches in the game and he was impressed with how quickly Varsho picked up center field a couple of years ago. Now, he'll have to learn the tricks of the trade in right. The ball will come off at different angles and he'll have to adjust the defensive stance he used in right field.

"We're working on it, but it's not that easy," McKay said. "It's not like automatic. There will be a little discomfort at the beginning and you just have to go out there and play balls off the bat consistently and see the ball off the bat."

Having two players who can play center in the outfield is a good dilemma for a manager to have and things figure to only get more crowded over the next year when another top prospect, center fielder Corbin Carroll, makes his Major League debut.

Carroll, the team's No. 1 pick (16th overall) in the 2019 MLB Draft, has been rising quickly through the Minors and like Varsho and Thomas is a left-handed hitter who can play center field.

As soon as a year from now, the D-backs could find themselves with three true center fielders roaming their three outfield positions.

It's a great problem for an organization to have, even if it does lead to some tough conversations.