The D-Backs sent first baseman Luken Baker outright to Triple-A Reno, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Arizona had designated him for assignment when they welcomed Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back from the injured list on Saturday. This is Baker’s second career outright, meaning he has the right to elect free agency.
Baker was on the major league roster for a little less than two weeks. He was called up on April 7 as a bench bat once the Snakes lost Carlos Santana to an adductor strain. The D-Backs only gave him one start over his 11 days on the active roster. Baker went 1-5 while striking out three times over three games overall.
That marked the fourth straight season with some MLB action for the former second-round draftee. It’s his first MLB work outside of St. Louis. The former Cardinals draftee had spent his career in that organization until he was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers last August. Baker didn’t appear in an MLB game with Los Angeles, who outrighted him off the 40-man roster within a week of claiming him. He joined Arizona on an offseason minor league deal.
The righty hitter owns a .206/.314/.333 batting line across 194 plate appearances at the big league level. Baker mashed a combined 65 home runs in Triple-A between 2023-24. His minor league production backed up last year, as he slashed a league average .223/.335/.441 through 95 games across the two systems.
Baker is out of minor league options, so the D-Backs needed to run him through waivers to take him off the MLB roster. It’d make sense for him to remain in the organization given their lack of established first basemen. Santana is joined by Pavin Smith and Tyler Locklear on the injured list. Utilityman Ildemaro Vargas and rookie infielder Jose Fernandez are splitting the first base work.
