Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Nearing A Return

Key Points:

• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is expected to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup this weekend, potentially facing his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, after recovering from an ACL tear sustained near the end of the 2025 season.
• Gurriel suffered the injury in September 2025 and has made a notably rapid recovery, returning to play in Double-A Amarillo games where he showed promising performance, including a three-run home run.
• Originally planned to return as a designated hitter to ease back into action, Gurriel may immediately resume playing in the outfield depending on his physical response and workload.
• The Diamondbacks have struggled offensively in left field, especially following an injury to Jordan Lawlar, making Gurriel's return a potentially significant boost for the team's production in that position.
• Gurriel re-signed with Arizona on a $13 million player option this offseason, opting to stay with the team despite the injury, after a challenging 2025 season marked by a career-low offensive output but some power and speed contributions.