Alek Thomas Talks T-Shirts, Jackie Robinson Day and Rehab

The D-backs young outfielder met with the media to discuss a handful of topics.

Diamondbacks young center fielder Alek Thomas spoke to the media Friday. Thomas is currently stuck on the Injured List as he works his way back to the field from a hamstring strain suffered on Easter Sunday's game. Although the outfielder might not be seeing action on the field for a little bit, he'll be involved in a number of pertinent events this weekend.

On Saturday, April 13th, against the St. Louis Cardinals, the first 20,000 fans in attendance at Chase Field will receive a t-shirt, commemorating Thomas' legendary game-tying home run in game four of the NLCS, without which the D-backs likely do not proceed to the World Series.

Thomas said he thinks about said home run “almost every day," and that the commemorative shirt being given away is an honor for the young stud.

“It means a lot, it means you did something right. Coming up big in that moment, and the history of it and everything, it was pretty sweet…  [the shirt] being given away at the stadium is an honor, and I feel blessed to have that," Thomas said.

"It was just a really special moment, I love to swing, I love seeing all the fans get really excited and seeing this place bumping."

But this weekend isn't just about Thomas' own personal accolades. Prior to Saturday's contest, Thomas will have the opportunity to give back to the local communities and bring some joy to the lives of underprivileged children in the Phoenix area. In honor of MLB's Jackie Robinson Day, the Diamondbacks will host the Jackie Robinson Outreach Clinic, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church.

Thomas will serve as a guest coach alongside the Diamondbacks Baseball Academy, interacting with and teaching kids the fundamentals of baseball.

“Being a part of the D-backs camps is really special, and I'm glad that all of us can be a part of it. The Diamondbacks do a good job of getting a good amount of us out there and trying to represent Arizona in a good way, and bring positivity to the state of Arizona," Thomas said.

“Seeing some of the kids that I've seen before, and them having a relationship with me now… having that relationship with all the kids is really special… It takes away from he struggles of playing the game and just having fun with all the kids, it’s really cool.”

But in the background of Thomas' excitement-filled weekend, his injury still looms in his mind. The young lefty shared his struggles with the the rehab process, working back towards getting onto the field following the injury.

“In the beginning it was kind of hard, mentally I was kind of upset and battling with trying to stay positive… the main thing I think is just the mental part of it and wanting to be out here, wanting to be part of the team. It sucks to be out for so long, it feels like forever to me. It's been a process but I feel like right now I'm in a good state mentally and physically," Thomas said.

Thomas said he talked with closer Paul Sewald, who is also dealing with a return from injury. Thomas noted the veteran right-hander was able to help him with the mental process. Since Thomas is young, and hasn't missed significant playing time to injury before, the toughness of the process might be amplified.

Thomas said that he began a running progression a few days ago, and feels good. Although he hasn't fielded anything yet, he's taken live at-bats and feels generally good, both mentally and physically. The outfielder said he could potentially begin taking left turns in his running program as early as next week.

While Thomas' bat might not be the loudest, enough cannot be said about his stellar defensive play. His absence has forced Corbin Carroll--who certainly has the speed and range to be an effective center fielder--to take most of the reps in CF. But regardless of where any defensive errors might be coming from, the D-backs would certainly love to have Thomas' exceptional prowess back in center field.

“It’s definitely a process, but we’re taking our time with it, and I think we’ll be in good shape here soon," Thomas said.