Diamondbacks place Tyler Locklear on injured list, recall Tim Tawa

The Arizona Diamondbacks placed rookie first baseman Tyler Locklear on the 10-day injured list with left elbow inflammation on Monday.

Utility man Tim Tawa — another right-handed hitter — was recalled from Triple-A Reno to fill in.

The Diamondbacks do not have a primary first baseman on the active roster, but Tawa and Ildemaro Vargas have some experience manning the position. Vargas was slated to start Monday’s game at first base against the San Francisco Giants.

Locklear had started Arizona’s last 10 games, retaking the everyday first baseman role after Pavin Smith landed on the injured list with a season-ending quad strain.

Locklear had a five-game hitting streak going into Sunday’s game before he went 0-for-3 with a walk and a costly fielding mistake during a rundown in the seventh inning.

There have been growing pains for the 24-year-old who came to Arizona at the trade deadline from the Seattle Mariners in the Eugenio Suarez deal. In 31 games, he has hit .175 with three home runs and a 37.1% strikeout rate. The league average is 22.3%, for reference.

The elbow injury occurred when a throw across the diamond from third baseman Jordan Lawlar led Locklear into the path of Boston Red Sox runner Connor Wong, and the two collided, manager Torey Lovullo said on Monday’s pregame show. Locklear will be evaluated back in Phoenix.

Diamondbacks recall Tim Tawa

Tawa returns to the major leagues for the first time since he was optioned on July 5. Tawa had been valuable for his defensive versatility, starting games at second base, center field, left field, first base and third base with limited action in right field, as well.

The 26-year-old was hot to start, hitting .256 with a 1.003 OPS and four home runs over his first 14 games.

Tawabunga dude 🤙 pic.twitter.com/046DPAB1Q6

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 25, 2025

Tawa cooled off and finished his first major league stint with a .200/.262/.355 batting line, as he struggled against the breaking ball (42.7% whiff rate). Manager Torey Lovullo called Tawa a winning player and wanted to see him regain confidence when the move was made to send him down.

Tawa spent two stints on the injured list in Reno and was activated last Wednesday after a month down. He went 2-for-2 with a double and three walks in his last game.

The Diamondbacks take on the Giants at 6:45 p.m. MST on Monday night. The game will air on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

Related

If the Diamondbacks push for a Wild Card spot, the tiebreakers could be chaoticDiamondbacks wear cleats designed by kids from Phoenix Children's for cancer awarenessDiamondbacks trade deadline: Latest buzz and potential targetsDiamondbacks in sole possession of 2nd NL Wild Card after comeback win over GuardiansDiamondbacks plan on Michael Soroka making rehab start TuesdayESPN’s Schoenfield list Daulton Varsho to Diamondbacks as top potential trade domino