Eugenio Suárez’s struggles are now getting noticed by the Diamondbacks, as they’re now exploring alternate options at third base. Following a night where he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against the Angels, the veteran third baseman was removed out of the lineup in favor of rookie Blaze Alexander. When asked about this in his pregame media session, manager Torey Lovullo said that Alexander will get more consistent at-bats over the next week and see how he performs offensively.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“I want to get a look at Blaze and see what he can do over there,” Lovullo told PHNX’s Jesse Friedman. “Offensively he’s playing at a very high level, the defense has been improving rapidly, so I felt it was time to give him a few more opportunities and a few more reps.”
Torey Lovullo said that Blaze Alexander will start some games over Eugenio Suárez at third base moving forward.
"Offensively, [Blaze has] been playing at a very high level. The defense has been improving rapidly. I just felt like it was time to give him a few opportunities." pic.twitter.com/4yabG48Zc8
— Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) June 12, 2024
Alexander has gotten off to a good start this season, hitting .279 with three home runs and a .748 OPS. Most of his damage has come against left-handed pitching, hitting .350 with a .951 OPS. He has been mostly shielded against rAright-handers, with only 15 of his 38 starts against them. While his numbers against same-handed pitchers aren’t good, it’s a difficult sample to evaluate due to Alexander’s lack of consistent reps against them.
Suárez’s struggles have been a focal point with the team’s offensive struggles. In 66 games, he’s hitting .197 with five home runs and a .575 OPS. Originally brought in to stabilize the third base position defensively and provide some middle-of-the-order thump from the right side of the plate, his bat has not shown up consistently this season. Between May 28 and June 5, the Diamondbacks have pinch-hit for him six times.
Should Alexander prove to be a reliable option at third base, it would help alleviate concerns about the lineup and allow the Diamondbacks to focus on upgrading their pitching staff at the trade deadline.
Do the Diamondbacks have capable replacements at third base?
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
