Alek Thomas DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas will take the day off for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Rookie Tim Tawa is manning center field and is batting seventh versus Dodgers right-hander Landon Knack. Thomas has become Arizona's regular center fielder so far in 2025, but he'll take a rest day to begin the week. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter is batting a solid .276 (34-for-123), but he lacks a lot of fantasy appeal with limited power and speed while posting only one home run, 15 RBI, 12 runs scored and three stolen bases for the Snakes. Tawa, a former 11th-rounder in 2021 out of Stanford, has supplied some power (five homers) with four stolen bases in 79 at-bats in NL-only leagues as a bench player for the Snake. He has never faced Knack in his young MLB career.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alex Thomas will make the start in center field over Jake McCarthy on Friday in the second game of the season against the visiting Chicago Cubs and right-hander Jameson Taillon at Chase Field. Thomas will bat seventh in the lineup. Thomas comes into 2025 looking to bounce back after a very disappointing 2024 campaign in which he played in only 39 games at the big-league level due to injuries and poor performance. In 103 plate appearances for Arizona, the 24-year-old left-handed hitter went just 18-for-95 (.189) with three home runs, 17 RBI and four stolen bases. Defense has been his calling card so far early in his career, but with a likely platoon role in Arizona's outfield this year, it's hard to get excited about him as anything more than outfield depth in NL-only leagues. Thomas is hitless in only two career at-bats against Taillon.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas (oblique) was reinstated from the seven-day minor-league injured list at Triple-A Reno on Tuesday. In his return to the field with the Aces on Tuesday, Thomas went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. The 24-year-old has been out of action for the past month with a strained right oblique but is working his way back and could be able to rejoin the big-league roster before the end of the regular season at the end of September. If Thomas does rejoin the D-backs and they make the postseason, he'll likely be a bench player and potential late-game replacement for his defense in center field. Thomas has played in a career-low 37 games in Arizona in 2024 in his third year in the majors and has hit just .191 (18-for-94) with three homers, 17 RBI and four steals. Jake McCarthy has essentially taken over for Thomas at the big-league level.