The Dodgers are turning to Alek Thomas after losing Andy Pages to a hand fracture, and the move gives them a ready-made center field option with a left-handed bat.
Thomas is coming up from Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he hit .296/.362/.493 in 55 games for the Comets. It will be his first time back on an MLB roster since the Diamondbacks designated him for assignment in May, when he was batting .181.
If Thomas is in the lineup against Pirates right-hander Jared Jones on Saturday, Aug. 22 at Dodger Stadium, he should slide into center field for a club that values the glove as much as the bat in this spot. What he probably won’t do is take over Pages’ spot near the top of the order behind Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.
A possible Dodgers lineup could look like this:
Shohei Ohtani DH
Freddie Freeman 1B
Mookie Betts SS
Max Muncy 3B
Kyle Tucker RF
Tommy Edman 2B
Teoscar Hernández LF
Alek Thomas CF
Hunter Feduccia C
Thomas, 26, has long been viewed as a strong defender in center. Arizona made him its No. 1 overall prospect in 2022 after selecting him in the second round, but his offense never quite caught up.
He put up a .619 OPS as a rookie in 2022, followed by a .647 mark the next year. In 2025, his last season as an everyday player, he hit .249/.289/.370 with a .659 OPS.
The Dodgers chose Thomas over first baseman/corner outfielder Ryan Ward, Hyeseong Kim, who has played some outfield, and other outfield prospects including James Tibbs III, Josue De Paula and Zach Ehrhard, none of whom are on the 40-man roster.
That decision may not be permanent. Pages could be back in time for the postseason, and the Dodgers have enough breathing room in the National League West - nine games ahead of the San Diego Padres - to put a premium on defense in center rather than using the spot to audition a hotter bat.
For Thomas, though, this is the kind of opportunity that can reset a career. If he handles it well, he could make a case for more than a short stay.
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