Arias was released by the Diamondbacks on Thursday, Diamondbacks broadcaster Steve Berthiaume reports.

EDGE Analysis

A non-roster invitee to spring training, the 31-year-old Arias probably needed an injury or two in front of him to have a real shot at the Opening Day roster. He offers defensive versatility and decent contact skills, but only has seven home runs and 13 stolen bases through 1,052 career at-bats.

Arias agreed to a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks on Sunday that includes an invite to spring training, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

Arias's deal will give him a chance to showcase his skills at spring training, with the middle infield likely representing the weakest portion of the Diamondbacks' roster heading into camp. The 31-year-old saw action in 40 games with the Giants last season, batting just .207/.207/.276 with one home run and four RBI in 58 at-bats.

Arias got the start at first base for the injured Brandon Belt (groin) on Thursday, but went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the win over the Padres. Buster Posey got the start at first (with Hector Sanchez catching) on Wednesday, and manager Bruce Bochy went back to Arias at first Thursday. It was also reported that middle-infielder, Matt Duffy, has been taking grounders at first and could start there Saturday in place of Belt (groin). So it appears as though Bochy will use a rotation of players until Belt returns (which could be as early as this weekend), and no one player will benefit greatly from a fantasy perspective.

Arias saw time at first base Tuesday after Brandon Belt (groin) left in the fourth inning. He only made one trip to the plate and didn't record a hit. Usual backup first baseman Travis Ishikawa is on the disabled list, which allowed Arias to see some time. Should Belt miss any extended time, Arias could see more of a role. However, he's coming off a 2014 campaign when he had an on-base percentage of just .281 with 15 RBIs in 193 at-bats.

Arias got the start at first base on Monday, going 3-for-3 with a run against the Diamondbacks. Arias has been swinging a hot bat of late, earning him playing time all around the infield for the Giants. The utility-man has raised his batting average over 60 points since the middle of August and is slashing .467/.500/.500 in 30 September at-bats.

Arias (neck) came off the bench and went 0-for-2 against the Brewers on Friday. A sore neck limited Arias throughout much of the week, but his ability to play three-plus innings Friday suggests it's no longer a concern. That said, his opportunities to start will likely remain few and far between while in a utility role.

Arias is nursing a sore neck, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The extent of the injury is uncertain, but consider Arias day-to-day until there's indication otherwise. Arias has made the most of his limited opportunities this month (three starts), going 7-for-15 with four doubles.

Arias was 2-for-3 with an RBI in a losing effort against the Royals on Friday night. The versatile utility infielder was the only Giants' starter to avoid leaving at least one runner stranded following one of his at bats. He's very useful to the Giants as he can fill in anywhere, but he's hitting just .197 and has compiled only nine RBI in limited action so his fantasy value is minimal at best.

Joaquin Arias picked up his first extra-base hit of the season in a losing effort against the Padres on Friday. He finished the night 1-for-3 with that double, raising his abysmal season slash to .186/.216/.196. He's useless outside of the deepest NL-only formats.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Thursday that Joaquin Arias will receive the bulk of the playing time at second base while Marco Scutaro (back) is out. It's not clear at this point how long Scutaro will be sidelined. Arias is a career .272/.302/.367 hitter who offers nothing in the way of power or speed, so he's a zero in fantasy leagues.