D-backs Manager Makes Bold Commitment Amidst Lineup Controversy

With players returning from the injured list, one player is assured to continue to get playing time

Mar 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) and Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) exchange lineup cards before the game as umpires Andy Fletcher (49), Cory Blaser (89), Jansen Visconti (52) and Alex Tosi (66) look on at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been getting production from unexpected sources, none more so than NL Player of the Month for March/April, Ildemaro Vargas. Vargas is currently batting .374 with a 1.041 OPS, six homers and 22 RBI

At the same time, rookie Jose Fernandez came out of the gates hot, and despite cooling off the last couple of weeks, is still sporting a .304/.340/.435 batting line. His .775 OPS works out to a 114 OPS+, or about 14% better than league average.

The return of Gabriel Moreno from the injured list has pushed catcher Adrian Del Castillo to the DH role, thus limiting the opportunity to get Fernandez into the lineup at DH the last couple of games.

Things are about to get even more crowded. First baseman Carlos Santana's return from the injured list is imminent and creates an additional roster crunch. The question now becomes is if the veteran Santana plays with any regularity, who is he taking at bats away from?

Torey Lovullo was asked if the roster crunch is keeping him up at nights. "A little bit," the manager conceded. Trying to put the best lineup on the field in order to win games is his priority.

"I have to have some conversations with a lot of people and I've got to make sure that we put the right guys in the right place to win these baseball games, so is it keeping me up? For sure," Lovullo said.

"I don't construct the roster," said Lovullo. "Once the players are here, I have the right to make the lineup the way I want to," he went on to clarify.

That also means he has to have the tough conversations with players who might not play quite as much as they originally might have expected to.

While having too many good players on the roster are good problems to have, the elephant in the room is that the 40-year-old Santana was batting just 2-for-24, .083 before going on the injured list with a right adductor strain.

Del Castillo is batting just .224 with a .657 OPS. He has a knack for the big hit, and has driven in 15 runs in 19 games. But swing-and-miss strikeout issues have kept him from being a consistent source of offense.

One piece of the Jigsaw puzzle was made clear, however.

Ildemaro Vargas Will Play Almost Every Day

May 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) celebrates after hitting an RBI double against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

"I'll tell you this, Ildemaro Vargas is not going to come out of the lineup, so I think we have to make some adjustments," Lovullo said.

How exactly that plays out remains to be seen. But Vargas has tremendous positional flexibility, which makes the task somewhat easier. He can play any infield position, and has even played a couple dozen games in left field as recently as 2024-25 for the Nationals. He was recently seen taking outfield reps with the outfielders.

Ildemaro Vargas taking reps with outfielders after finishing his first base infield work

Torey Lovullo said Carlos Santana would play at least a couple more games on rehab with Reno and the revisit his status Friday pic.twitter.com/8TcLLeeyVF

— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) May 5, 2026

"I could probably bounce him around the field," said Lovullo. "I see him playing a variety of positions and he's earned playing time and as long as he continues to do well, he will continue to earn that playing time. We're going to create some versatility for him to construct the lineup the best way we can."

A point of note is that Vargas is 34 years old and has never shouldered such a steady playing load before in his career. His career-high in games started came in 2024 when he started 71 games plus 24 more as a late-inning replacement or pinch-hitter.

Recent off days built into the schedule have provided some additional rest. But that dynamic is shifting, perhaps as soon as Thursday's day game, Lovullo hinted.

"Tomorrow, day game after night game, you'll probably see some guys that need a little bit of a blow, I need to get him off of his feet for sure. Nobody's gonna play 162. It just doesn't happen very often in this game anymore," Lovullo said.

Jose Fernandez Playing Time Going Forward

Arizona Diamondbacks Jose Fernandez (11) steps to the plate against the Chicago White Sox in the third inning on April 22, 2026, at Chase Field in Phoenix. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the recent off days and the everyday starters playing every game, Fernandez's playing time has been a bit scarcer the last couple of games. After starting five of the six games of the recent road trip, Fernandez has sat the last two games.

But with limited off days coming up, Lovullo said there'll be a rotation and Fernandez will be back in the lineup soon, and not just against left-handed pitchers.

"I think he's a pretty darn good hitter," Lovullo said. "He's still learning and growing, but I love what I've seen so far and he'll find his way to the lineup at the best times to create the most opportunity to help him score those runs."

It's notable that while Fernandez is still batting over .300, his expected batting average is .260 and his expected slugging percentage is .393. His expected wOBA, or weighted on base percentage is .304 compared to a league-average .316.

Fernandez has a 35% chase rate at pitches out of the zone. The at-bat quality has gone up and down since his dynamic two-homer debut. Opposing teams are figuring out how to attack him, as evidenced by a 2-for-16 stretch during the six-game road trip.

Fernandez hits the ball hard often, as can be seen in his 45% hard-hit rate, which is in the 70th percentile in MLB.

There is no doubt Fernandez is a promising rookie who is likely to improve with continued steady playing time. The issue is that nearly 75% of 97 plate appearances have come at either DH (37) or first base (34). If Santana comes back onto the roster, combined with Lovullo's commitment to play Vargas, it's obviously that Fernandez will see a playing time cut.

"The problem is he plays positions where guys are having real good years, and a couple of the guys are very, very counted-on players," Lovullo said.

These issues won't get any easier going forward. Both Jordan Lawlar and Pavin Smith are due to come off the injured list by early June. The D-backs will have to cross those bridges when they come to them.