The Diamondbacks’ 9-5 win over the Twins on Friday may have been costly in terms of health, as both starters. Michael Soroka and foreign player Jordan Lawler it should have come out earlier. Soroka’s start was cut short after just one inning, as he felt discomfort in his left hamstring during his second inning of work. Lawlar had to be replaced by a pinch runner in the eighth inning, as Lawlar sprained his right hamstring while running to first for a bunt single.
Both players will undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the damage. Speaking to MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert and other reporters following the game, Soroka and Lawlar both expressed hope that their injuries were not too serious, with Soroka describing his case as “hold on” and Lawlar saying he feels “just a little tightness.”
Arizona already has nine players on its injured list, with Ryne Nelson hitting a 15 day IL just yesterday due to a slight torn forearm. Lawlar himself was playing in just his sixth game since being reinstated from the 60-day IL, as the former star player missed two months trying to recover from a broken wrist.
Soroka signed a one-year, $7.5MM free agent deal with the D’Backs last December, with the money coming down as a $6.5MM salary and a $1MM buyout for the same $10MM option for the 2027 campaign. It was unclear whether Soroka would be used as a starter or shortstop, however Soroka has not only earned himself a rotation spot, but the right-hander has now become a more consistent member of the pitching staff.
Soroka has a 3.07 ERA, a 23.7% strikeout rate, and a league-leading 5.1% walk rate through 82 innings. The slurve that was a big part of Soroka’s arsenal last season has continued to be a dominant pitch in 2026, and the righty now uses both his slurve and four-seamer equally.
With Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallenand Nelson all lowered expectations, Soroka as well Eduardo Rodriguez they did a lot of the heavy lifting in keeping Arizona’s rotation respectable. Brandon Pfaadt was extended to the minors and was thought to be Nelson’s replacement, though the Diamondbacks will have to hold on to their depth chart again if Soroka misses time. It doesn’t help that the D’Backs only have one day off until the All-Star break, so the team was already dealing with innings for the next few weeks.
Any type of hamstring injury is a major concern for Lawlar, who has missed significant time in the last two major league seasons with a pulled hamstring. Between these problems, thumb surgery, shoulder surgery, a broken scapula, and his broken wrist, Lawlar has already dealt with a number of injuries since being selected sixth overall in the 2021 draft.
These health issues, a lack of production beyond 108 major league plate appearances in 2023-25, and questions about his ideal defensive position have left Lawlar as a wild card heading into the 2026 campaign. The Diamondbacks switched Lawlar to outfield duty this year and it seems to be unlocking something with his bat, as Lawlar has hit .316/.409/.447 over 44 PA this season. While obviously a small sample, it’s still a promising development for Lawlar, despite his ongoing injury problems.
Jorge Barrosa he’s likely to get more playing time unless Lawler hits IL again, too Max Kepler is nearing the end of his 80-game PED suspension, which would add to Arizona’s outfield depth. Kepler signed with the D’Backs on June 7, and is eligible to work out on June 25.
