Top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt has been promoted to the MLB, making his debut with a hit in his first game. The D'Backs face crucial decisions regarding roster adjustments as struggling players like Alek Thomas are DFA'd.
Not too long ago, I asked the question of āIs it time for the DāBacks to call up these top prospects from AAA?ā On Friday, we got a partial answer to that question. Top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt was called up while struggling CF Alek Thomas was Designated For Assignment (DFAād). It still remains to be seen what will happen with Thomas, he most likely wonāt make it through waivers as he still has defensive value and will be viewed as a āchange of sceneryā candidate with some offensive potential still, but he could very well stay in the Dbacks Organization. As far as Waldschmidt goes, he had a pinch hit single in the Dbacks 3-1 loss to the Mets on Friday to make his MLB debut, followed by going hitless in the Dbacks 1-0 win on Saturday. It remains to be seen how quickly heāll adjust to major league pitching, but defensively Waldschmidt looked good in his limited amount of time in the field so far. With that out of the way, I think thereās some serious questions as far how this roster is constructed for the remainder of the season.
Tommy Troy, the Diamondbacks first round pick in the 2023 draft, is currently hitting .305/.407/.447 with a 114 wRC+ in his first 36 games for the Reno Aces, the Diamondbacks AAA affiliate. LuJames Groover, the Dbacks 2nd rounder in the 2023, is currently hitting .309/.421/.396 with a 108 wRC+. Troy is currently second on the Aces with 24 walks, while Groover leads with 27 walks. While Troy is striking out in 25% of his pate appearences, Groover is striking out in only 15.6%, the same amount heās been drawing walks. Considering the team is seeing a lot fewer pitches, could the addition of either of the two players be enough to provide an offensive boost? I personally think the roster could benefit with the addition of these two players, along with the subtraction of the players at the MLB level who are struggling. Regardless, itās unlikely that either player gets the call, considering GM Mike Hazen has some pending roster moves to make as his players start returning from the Injury List.
Waldschmidt's promotion raises questions about roster adjustments, particularly concerning struggling players like Alek Thomas, who has been DFA'd.
Tommy Troy and LuJames Groover are top prospects hitting well in AAA, and their performance raises the possibility of them being called up to boost the D'Backs' offense.
Tim Tawa is hitting .152 with a 43 wRC+ in 20 games, while Adrian Del Castillo has a .218 average with a 77 wRC+ in 23 games, both underperforming this season.
When Santana and Smith return, it's likely that players like Adrian Del Castillo or Tim Tawa will be sent down, as they have not performed well this season.
Kristoffer Reitan claims his first PGA Tour win at the 2026 Truist Championship, edging out Rickie Fowler.
Pacers miss out on 2026 lottery pick due to Zubac trade with Clippers.
Rishabh Pant points to dropped catches as LSG falls to CSK in IPL 2026
Lions fans will appreciate the All-Pro WR's mindset for 2026!
Previewing Real Madrid's lineup for the upcoming El Clasico amid key absences.
Maryland baseball secures an 11-7 victory over Rutgers, avoiding a sweep!
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
Despite hitting just .201/.274/.347 with a 74 wRC+ in 74 games at the MLB level in 2025, Tim Tawa somehow impressed enough to make it onto the Dbacks MLB roster in 2026. Although heās largely been relegated to sitting on the bench, Tim Tawa has been one of the least valuable position players for Arizona in 2026. In 20 games heās hitting a paltry .152/.245/.261 with a 43 WRC+. While thatās not a large enough sample to really judge, I think his overall MLB stats since being called up are enough to go off of, however. In his 94 games at the MLB level, Tawa is hitting .192/.268/.331 with 66 wRC+, which combined with subpar defense has made him worth -0.4 fWAR. Meanwhile, Adrian Del Castillo, whoās on the roster for his bat, much more than his defensive abilities, hasnāt been all that much better in 2026. In 23 games in 2026, Del Castillo is hitting .218/.262 /.385 with a 77 wRC+, while striking out in 31% of his at bats. Iād call it small sample size flukiness, but Del Castillo wasnt exactly grrat last season either. In 44 games in 2025, he hit .242/.290/.392 with an 87 wRC+. He walked at a similar rate (6.1% vs 6% this season), though he was striking out an even higher rate of 35.9%. Del Castilloās career offensive numbers are largely propped up by a very good debut in 2023, but heās been a below average hitter since then. If Del Castillo was a much better defender at the catching position this wouldnāt be much of an issue, but the team has had him DHing more and more as time goes on. As a DH, those numbers are absolutely unacceptable for an MLB team expected to be competitive.
Carlos Santana started his rehab assignment in AAA Reno on May 2nd. The results havenāt been great, as he is just 3 for 23 with 3 walks and a homerun, but the team is almost certainly going to activate Santana of the injured list in the next few days, while making a corresponding move. Jose Fernandez and Ildemaro Vargas were the two players who have filled the void left at first base as a result of Santanaās and Pavin Smithās injuries. Both have the positional flexibility to play elsewhere if needed, while also being key offensive contributors, so itās extremely unlikely that either player are impacted by Santana being activated. In this case, Iād think Adrian Del Castillo or Tim Tawa are more likely to be sent down when Santana comes of the IL. I am actually of the opinion that the team might better off just releasing Santana with how poor the results have been in his rehab assignment, but I think thatās even less likely to happen than Vargas being DFAād or Jose Fernandez being sent back down. Pavin Smith is slated to begin his rehab by taking swings in the next week, but assuming he has no set backs, he too should be activated of the IL sooner, rather than later. At that point, itās almost certain that a move will have to be made with the teamās first baseman/designated hitter position, which will absolutely affect one of the four aforementioned players.
The DāBacks roster as presently constructed, leaves a lot to be desired, thanks not only to the struggles of the players Iāve mentioned, but also as a result of the struggles of key offensive contributors like Ketel Marte. Long term, the Dbacks canāt expect for Ildemaro Vargas or Jose Fernandez to continue hitting like they have this season. The latter has already started to fade offensively after a hot start. Even if the offensive woes werenāt an issue, the Dbacks will face a roster crunch as Carlos Santana, Pavin Smith, and eventually Jordan Lawlar return from the Injured List. However, with those offensive woes factored in, itās pretty clear to me that DāBacks GM Mike Hazen is going to have his hand forced and will have to make some moves soon. He might not call up Troy or Groover anytime soon, but he absolutely will have to send down/release some players to accommodate the players returning from the IL. Who do you think will be sent down when Santana returns from the Injured list? How do you think Mike Hazen will address the offensive struggles of the MLB club? Will Tommy Troy or Lujames Groover be called up soon? Let me know what you think in the comments!