Tim Tawa News: Sticks on roster

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that the decision to keep Tawa on the major-league roster following the activation of Ketel Marte from the 10-day injured list was a "no-brainer," Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Tawa was the primary fill-in at second base while Marte was on the IL, but the rookie opened Friday's 3-2 loss to the Phillies on the bench, as expected. Tawa eventually pinch hit for Alek Thomas in the ninth inning. Marte, who is coming back from a hamstring injury, isn't yet ready to play second base on an everyday basis, so Tawa will fill in on the days when Marte serves as the designated hitter or gets held out for rest. Tawa, who has batted .190/.304/.483 with five home runs and two steals over his first 19 big-league games, could also be an option at third base and in center field.