Dodgers acquire outfielder Alek Thomas in a trade with the Diamondbacks

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers added to their outfield depth by acquiring Alek Thomas in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Thomas was batting just .181 with two homers and 10 RBIs when he was designated for assignment by Arizona last week. But the speedy Thomas is a solid defender, and he could be used by Los Angeles as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch runner.

“Really good defender. Really good kid, like the way he plays,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve seen him a lot, obviously from the other side. Not sure what our plans are for him.”

Roberts said the team would do a “deep dive” on Thomas’ swing to see what could possibly be unlocked.

The Dodgers sent outfield prospect Jose Requena to the Diamondbacks. To make room for Thomas on the 40-man roster, outfielder Michael Siani was designated for assignment.

Thomas was selected by Arizona in the second round of the 2018 amateur draft. He made his major league debut in 2022.

Thomas had his share of big moments with the Diamondbacks, particularly during the team’s run to the 2023 World Series. He hit four homers during the postseason, including a tying two-run shot against the Phillies in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series.

The 26-year-old Thomas is a .230 hitter with 31 homers, 143 RBIs and 28 steals in 448 career games.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb