Aug 22, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (12) reacts after hitting the game winning RBI in the eleventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Chase Field to beat the reads 6-5. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images Allan Henry-Imagn Images

D-backs Manager Gives Disappointing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Update

Originally posted on Arizona Diamondbacks on SI
By Alex D'Agostino | Last updated Feb 12, 2026 4:24 PM ET

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is pushing for an opening day return after tearing his ACL at the beginning of September, but that is not a realistic timeline for at the moment.

By now, D-backs fans have likely seen Gurriel's posts on social media, showcasing intense movement drills and exercises despite being less than six months removed from season-ending surgery.

Opening day is Gurriel's personal targeted return, which would be extremely aggressive. But according to manager Torey Lovullo, Gurriel won't be on the field quite that soon, even if he's well ahead of schedule in his recovery and feeling good.

"He said Opening Day to me yesterday when I saw him. That's how good he's feeling," Lovullo told Arizona Sports 98.7's Alex Weiner. " It is not gonna be Opening Day, I can assure you that. Where that is, we don't know yet."

Diamondbacks Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Won't be Ready for Opening Day

Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Opening day was never truly a realistic return date for the left fielder, even if he looks healthy and strong enough to play immediately. Although ACL procedures are nowhere near the career-threatening event that they used to be, they still require a rehab process that can't be truncated to an extreme degree.

Still, it does appear Gurriel will be back sooner than might have been initially assumed. GM Mike Hazen has referred to the outfielder as being "ahead of schedule" multiple times.

When Gurriel does return, there will likely be some restrictions applied. Expect a decent number of DH days until he can return to full speed in the outfield.

That reality leaves the D-backs' outfield in a very fluid state. On top of Gurriel's absence from spring training, star outfielder Corbin Carroll will miss time recovering from a recent hamate bone surgery, putting his opening day status in question as well.

Lovullo said former No. 1 prospect Jordan Lawlar could be seeing some time in center field, with incumbent center fielder Alek Thomas potentially moving around the outfield as a result. There's also a possibility Arizona allows top prospects like Ryan Waldschmidt or Tommy Troy to see significant playing time in the outfield.

The D-backs' roster may be looking quite different this upcoming season. While the injuries are unfortunate and will likely hurt Arizona's offensive production, they will also allow young players to see more opportunity than they might have otherwise.