Diamondbacks decide to demote 2023 playoff hero

With the NL West lead now suddenly within striking distance, the Arizona Diamondbacks do not have any time for nostalgia.

The D-backs announced Wednesday that they have sent outfielder Alek Thomas down to Triple-A Reno. They are calling up shortstop Blaze Alexander in a corresponding move.

Thomas, 24, was a hero for Arizona last year as they made their surprise run to the World Series as an 84-win wild-card team. He had four home runs in the postseason, including a massive game-tying blast as a late-game pinch hitter in Game 4 of the NLCS.

But Thomas, who also got a dose of karma when the D-backs went on to lose in the World Series, has been struggling badly throughout the 2024 season. The lefty hitter was down to a sub-Mendoza .191 batting average in 37 games prior to his demotion. That includes a brutal .150 average to open the month of August

The good news for the Diamondbacks is that they are doing very well as a team of late, winning their last six games in a row to pull to within three games of the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West division. As the Dbacks mount their final push over this last month and a half of the season, they will likely turn to Jake McCarthy (batting .311 in 101 games this year) as their starting center fielder with Thomas optioned to Triple-A.