Alek Thomas News: In lineup against lefty

Thomas started in center field against a left-hander and went 1-for-3 in Friday's 3-2 loss to Philadelphia.

It was a rare start against a lefty for Thomas, who entered the game with just nine at-bats against them in 2025. He was eventually pinch hit for in the ninth inning. Previously, Jorge Barrosa would man center field against lefties, but he was optioned to the minors in conjunction with Ketel Marte coming off the injured list. Thomas is off a good start, and manager Torey Lovullo may want to give him regular opportunities to bat against southpaws. If the manager wants to resume sitting Thomas against lefties, then he could use Garrett Hampson or Tim Tawa as a fill-in.