Diamondbacks Option Alek Thomas to Reno, Call Up RHP Luis Frias

The Diamondbacks announced this morning they have recalled RHP Luis Frías from Triple-A Reno, and optioned OF Alek Thomas to Reno following last night's game. The 40-Man roster is set a 40

After last night's game it became apparent the team would need to make a move due to the seven man bullpen being taxed during a 12-inning game. The overall workload for seven relievers has been heavy. Most teams carry 13 pitchers, five starters and eight relievers but the Diamondbacks have gone the last two plus weeks with 12 pitchers and 14 position players. 

With the emergence of Dominic Fletcher since being called up on April 30th, it became apparent that Thomas was the likely player to be optioned. He has slumped virtually the entire season, batting .195/.252/.327,  .579 OPS in 123 plate appearances. He's been especially ineffective against left-hand pitching, going 1-36, with 1 walk and 14 strikeouts.  His numbers against right hand pitching are much better, .273 average with a .797 OPS. But the team had to make a choice here, and this presents Thomas with an opportunity to make some mechanical adjustments while in Reno.

Thomas has a large leg kick, and appears to be "bailing out" or falling off to his right, especially against lefties.  He continues to hit ground balls at an alarming rate, 54% so far this year, and 57% for his career. Finding a way to adjust his swing path to get the ball off the ground will be key. 

Called up last year on May 8th, Thomas did well through his first 41 games, batting .275/.338/.451, .788 OPS in 157 plate appearances. But starting on June 24th he began to slump, batting just .205 with a .517 OPS+ in 275 PA.  That earned him a demotion to Triple-A on September 25th.  He made the roster out of Spring Training this year however, in large part because the team felt they needed his defense in centerfield.

Unfortunately even his defense has not been as good as last year. Statcast rated him +7 Outs Above Average in 2022, but so far has registered 0 OAA in 2023.  While fielding stats are typically very volatile in small sample sizes, from watching it appears he has had issues with route running and not be been able to make as many outstanding, highlight worthy catches as last year. 

It's important to remember that Thomas just turned 23 on April 28th. He had an excellent minor league track record, is strong for his size, fast, and athletic. The tools are still there, but he likely requires some swing mechanics adjustments. Whether or not he can make them will determine how long it takes him to get back to the majors and how effective he'll be when that happens. 

Frias has struggled in each of his numerous but brief call ups to the majors in the past. Over the past three seasons he's appeared in 20 games, and walked 23 batters while striking out 19 and given up 33 hits including one homer. That's resulted in a 10.23 ERA and a 5.27 FIP.  Blessed with a strong arm, the converted infielder averages 98 MPH with his fastball and can hit 100 MPH. He also throws a slider and this year Statcast classified his secondary as a cutter. 

Encouragingly however Frias has only walked two batters and struck out 16 in 12 innings for Reno this year, and sports a 1.50 ERA.  Like many young hard throwers the tantalizing stuff makes scouts, coaches, and fans wonder what he could do if he ever gains control of the strike zone. Hopefully for the D-backs his recent results in Reno are indicative of a breakthrough.