Alek Thomas is already making life awkward for the Diamondbacks.
Since the Dodgers called him back up, Thomas has opened his run in Los Angeles with three hits and three RBI across his first four games in Dodger blue. Before Wednesday’s 0-for-5 night, he had knocked in a run in every game he’d played for the defending champs while covering center field for the injured Andy Pages.
That kind of start is enough to get attention anywhere. Against Arizona, it hits a little differently.
The Diamondbacks sit one game out of the National League Wild Card race, so they have bigger problems on their plate. Still, Thomas’ quick rise with a division rival has to sting. The same player Arizona cut loose in May is suddenly looking far more like the everyday center fielder the club once believed he could be.
Thomas’ exit from Arizona came after he hit .181/.222/.340 in 28 games, a stretch that led to him being designated for assignment. Four days later, the Diamondbacks dealt him to the Dodgers for teenage outfield prospect Joe Requena.
At the time, it barely registered. Now, it looks a lot more consequential.
The big-league sample in Los Angeles is tiny, of course. But Thomas has been doing real damage everywhere the Dodgers have asked him to play. In 59 minor league games with the organization, he hit .285/.351/.472 with seven homers and 40 RBI before getting the call back to the majors because of Pages’ injury.
He’s also been open about the work the Dodgers have done with him behind the scenes. Thomas has talked publicly about how much time the staff has spent on his swing, even calling the team’s developmental approach futuristic. That sort of talk tends to land hard in Arizona, especially after the way his stint there ended.
The reaction from one Diamondbacks fan captured the mood pretty well:
“taken the time” “next level” just shoot me, it’d hurt less https://t.co/Y944mffRQH
- wedge antilles 🇵🇸 (@clairenelsonaz) August 26, 2026
Arizona may be doing just fine with Ryan Waldschmidt, but Thomas flashing new life in Los Angeles still reflects badly on the Diamondbacks. It’s even worse because the Dodgers are a division opponent.
For now, this still has the feel of a change-of-scenery story in progress. Arizona decided Thomas couldn’t hit anymore; the Dodgers have clearly seen something worth working with. If he keeps producing through August and September, that debate is only going to get louder.
There is one catch: fans may not get a long enough look to decide whether Thomas is truly back. The Dodgers expect Pages to return before the end of the year. Even so, Thomas has already done enough to give Los Angeles a useful stopgap - and plenty of reasons for Arizona to cringe.
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