Diamondbacks plan to be ‘creative’ keeping Pavin Smith in lineup

The Arizona Diamondbacks have more starting-caliber players than spots in the batting order, but keeping the red-hot Pavin Smith involved has been discussed as the club embarks on the final week of the regular season.

Manager Torey Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday he spoke with general manager Mike Hazen on ways to continue giving Smith opportunities even with left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back from the injured list.

Gurriel rejoined the lineup after nearly three weeks down (calf) on Friday for a matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers, but Lovullo kept Smith in the starting nine in right field against right-handed starter Colin Rea. Corbin Carroll slid over to center field, while Jake McCarthy was out of the lineup for the first time in weeks.

Pavin Smith provides some 2-run insurance for the @Dbacks!

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/2zPdfZs0Si

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 20, 2024

“We’re gonna be as creative as possible,” Lovullo said. “We’re gonna try to make sure the best combination of baseball players are gonna help us win baseball games, that’s it, bottom line. If that includes Pavin Smith, we have to find time for him. His OPS is in the .950 range (.969), he’s helped us win games, he’s killing the baseball. I’m not gonna put everything down and say, ‘Okay, you’re on the bench.'”

Smith smoked a two-run home run for insurance in Thursday’s 5-1 win over Milwaukee, his fifth of the month.

“Lourdes is going a have a bit of a return-to-play program, I’m going to give certain guys days off at the right times to create some space for Pavin. He deserves this opportunity,” Lovullo added.

Smith and right-handed platoon slugger Randal Grichuk have been Arizona’s two hottest hitters in September. Grichuk leads the team with a 1.475 OPS in 38 plate appearances, while Smith is close behind at 1.355 in 50 PAs.

Since Sept. 8, Smith leads all of baseball with a 1.526 OPS in 39 plate appearances — even ahead of Shohei Ohtani and his historic 6-for-6 Thursday night against the Miami Marlins.

Smith has had an up-and-down role this season without a spot on the roster on Opening Day. He has been optioned three times since then. Yet he stepped up while filling in for Gurriel against right-handed pitching and even started games against lefties.

Torey Lovullo tells @BurnsAndGambo Pavin Smith deserves the opportunity to stay involved even with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back from injury.

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— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 20, 2024

“It kind of seems like that’s sort of the theme for this team this whole year, where guys go down and people step up. So being able to do my part in that is pretty cool,” Smith told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Sept. 10, after he hit three home runs on Sunday Night Baseball in Houston.

McCarthy is in a bit of a funk, but he is Arizona’s best bet in center field defensively — as long as Alek Thomas is in Triple-A — and had been the hot hand for a stretch this season. With Grichuk penned in against lefties, Joc Pederson the designated hitter against righties, the team will have to run out some different-looking combinations to keep Smith in even a semi-regular role.

It’s a great problem to have, and it goes beyond Smith with questions of what to do with Josh Bell or whether Thomas can make his way back for a postseason roster spot if the D-backs get there.

For now, Smith will have a chance to continue producing in another key game Friday at 5:10 p.m. Zac Gallen is on the mound for Arizona.

The game will air on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.

Diamondbacks’ lineup

Game 154.https://t.co/epBmrbY9CZ | https://t.co/k9Xjx1tKgF pic.twitter.com/UHBxDInHe0

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 20, 2024

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