Thomas went 3-for-4 with two doubles, one RBI and one run scored in Friday's 8-1 win over the Cubs.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas, who was on the bench against a lefty Thursday, was in the lineup Friday against a right-hander. Jake McCarthy started in center field Thursday, but the situation will not be a strict platoon since both are lefty batters. One thing for certain is Thomas' poor track record against southpaws.

Thomas is starting in center field and batting seventh in Friday's contest against the Cubs.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas was on the bench in favor of Jake McCarthy for Thursday's opener versus lefty Justin Steele, but he'll get the call against right Jameson Taillon on Friday as the Diamondbacks look to even the series. There will be some instances when both McCarthy and Thomas are in the lineup, with Lourdes Gurriel a candidate to shift to designated hitter those days.

Thomas did not start Thursday's season opener against the Cubs.

EDGE Analysis

Jake McCarthy started in center field against Chicago left-hander Justin Steele. Thomas has a history of unsatisfactory results against southpaws, so him sitting is not unexpected. It's unclear if he'll be the automatic starter against right-handers, but manager Torey Lovullo may want his elite glove in the lineup as much as possible. McCarthy was unable to hold onto Miguel Amaya's fading liner in the fifth inning, turning it into a key three-run double.

Thomas started in center field and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's spring game against Colorado.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas singled and scored as part of a three-run third inning. He's competing for an outfield job with Jake McCarthy, who started in right field Friday. Thomas is the better defender, but the winner of the battle likely hinges on his contact this spring. Thomas smoked the single (106.4 mph) while the outs made were harmless groundballs without much exit velocity.

Diamondbacks hitting coach Joe Mather said Friday that Thomas worked on his pre-swing activity during the offseason, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

Specifically, Thomas' adjustments included a slightly lower leg kick along with being more consistent with his stride and direction. He feels the cleaner mechanics will result in hard line drives with gap-to-gap power. Thomas hit the ball with authority last season but mostly on the ground (60.8 groundball percentage). The outfielder, who is healthy entering spring training after missing significant time in 2024, begins camp as the No. 2 center fielder and will compete with Jake McCarthy for the starting job.

Thomas enters spring training listed second on Arizona's depth chart in center field.

EDGE Analysis

Jake McCarthy, who was in Thomas' shoes at the start of camp in 2024, is listed as the starting center fielder and deserves to be. Thomas suffered through an injury marred season and barely hit when healthy (.603 OPS). Meanwhile, McCarthy was a competent fill-in during the first half and eventually exploded in July/August (.878 OPS). The Diamondbacks don't lose much in the way of defense with McCarthy -- though Thomas is clearly the best outfield defender on the team -- and the former's bat has been an asset in addition to his work on the basepaths (74 steals from 2022 to 2024). Thomas hit the ball hard last year, but a lot of it was on the ground. If the 24-year-old shows improvement at the plate during spring training, that could force a decision for manager Torey Lovullo.

The Diamondbacks recalled Thomas from Triple-A Reno on Thursday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas was optioned to Triple-A in the middle of August, but landed on the 7-day injured list due to a right oblique strain a few days after. He was reinstated from the injured list Sept. 18 after missing a month of action. With his return to the big club, Yilber Diaz and Blake Walston were optioned to Triple-A Reno as part of a corresponding move.

Triple-A Reno reinstated Thomas (oblique) from its 7-day injured list Tuesday.

EDGE Analysis

Thomas returned to the lineup for Reno's 9-2 win over Albuquerque, starting in center field while going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs. The 24-year-old had missed the past month with a right oblique strain.

Thomas was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Reno on Tuesday with a right oblique strain, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

After losing work in the majors to Jake McCarthy, Thomas was optioned to Triple-A last week in order for him to continue receiving regular reps. However, he is now expected to be sidelined for roughly four weeks as a result of his injury. The 24-year-old outfielder had gone 5-for-13 with a homer and two RBI in three games with the Aces.

The Diamondbacks optioned Thomas to Triple-A Reno on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

He had been losing more and more playing time to the red-hot Jake McCarthy and will now head to Reno, where he'll be given regular reps again. Thomas' elite outfield defense hasn't been able to overcome his weak bat, as he's slashed a woeful .191/.248/.362 across 37 games with Arizona this season.