86 Daulton Varsho C

Varsho played left field in an intra-squad game Wednesday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Varsho handled the chances that came his way, including going back on a hard line drive. Manager Torey Lovullo said there's a chance Varsho, a catcher by trade, plays some innings in center field. Varsho, who will rotate in at his natural position during camp, is expected to make his major league debut in 2020.

The unique circumstances of playing baseball in a pandemic might accelerate Varsho's arrival to the majors, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

The Diamondbacks, who have been known to carry three catchers in the past, may be tempted to have Varsho on the roster in a utility role this season, as he is also capable of playing left or center field. Carson Kelly and Stephen Vogt are locks to break camp, and Arizona already has a talented outfield corps, so Varsho would likely need injuries ahead of him or a hot run at the plate to garner more than a bench role. Buchanan speculates that Varsho would benefit more from a limited role in the majors than whatever he'd be doing with the satellite roster, so he expects the Diamondbacks to find a use for him this season.

Varsho will be a part of the Diamondbacks' 60-man summer camp.

Varsho, who is not on the 40-man roster, has a battle ahead for playing time, as Carson Kelly and Stephen Vogt are penciled in as the primary catchers, with John Hicks getting an spot on the 60-man roster as well. The advantage Varsho has is that the Diamondbacks have previously expressed interest in wanting to try out the prospect in the outfield, so that utility could help him score a spot as the third backstop. The long-term fantasy ceiling with Varsho is much higher than a player like Hicks, as Varsho logged 18 homers and 21 steals at the Double-A level in 2019. It's unclear if that five-category potential will translate to production in the shortened 2020 season, however.

Varsho went 3-for-12 with one extra-base hit and two walks over eight Cactus League games before the shutdown.

The Diamondbacks talked about exposing Varsho to outfield this spring, but Arizona's fifth-ranked prospect was used at catcher only (plus once as a pinch hitter). The 23-year-old is likely to start the season at Triple-A Reno, where it is presumed the organization will further develop a second position for him. He's still a catcher in the eyes of management, but with the 25-year-old Carson Kelly locked in at catcher and under control through 2024, the team will want to find a home for Varsho's bat and baserunning. That could happen as soon as 2020, when Kelly and Stephen Vogt will be the top two backstops.

Varsho will play outfield in addition to catcher during big-league camp, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The majority of Varsho's reps will come at catcher, but the Diamondbacks want to get a look at him in the outfield. The 23-year-old prospect, who played some center field at the end of the Double-A season in 2019, could be needed at the MLB level in 2020. As such, manager Torey Lovullo wants to prepare him if the team needs an outfielder: "How we sold it to him is, 'We don't know where your first big-league appearance is going to be. It could be in the outfield; it could be behind the plate. Why not add some things to your tool belt to get you here as fast as possible?'" The organization feels he's a good enough athlete to handle the outfield -- he stole 21 bases last year -- and was pleased with how Varsho looked in the outfield.

Varsho (ankle) said he's back to full strength as spring training kicked off this week, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Varsho injured his ankle last November during an international tournament in Japan and initially feared the worst. The diagnosis -- a Grade 3 sprain -- was less serious than the thoughts that raced through his mind. Varsho, a catcher/outfielder, is one Arizona's top prospects and could reach MLB at some point in 2020.

Varsho (ankle) was invited to the Diamondbacks' big-league camp on Tuesday.

Varsho spent 2019 with Double-A Jackson, hitting .301/.378/.520 with 18 homers and 21 steals, quite a unique skill set for a catcher. He'll presumably need some seasoning at the Triple-A level before being considered for a big-league roster spot. He sprained his ankle at an international tournament in Japan in November, though it's not clear that the issue will continue to affect him this spring.

Varsho suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain and will spend the next two weeks in a walking boot before being re-evaluated, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Varsho suffered the injury during an international tournament in Japan, and he had to be helped off the field immediately following an awkward slide at second base. While he'll have plenty of time to return to health before spring training, the team will get a better idea of his availability moving forward after he's re-evaluated.

Varsho suffered an ankle injury earlier this week while playing in an international tournament in Japan, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

He had to be helped off the field after sliding awkwardly into second base. Farm director Mike Bell said the team believes it is a sprain and not a fracture, but if it is a sprain, it seems like it might be a Grade 2 or Grade 3 sprain, just based on the video of the injury. He should be considered questionable for the start of spring training.

Varsho was named the Minor League Player of the Year for the Diamondbacks' organization, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Varsho hit .301/.378/.520 with 18 home runs and 21 steals at Double-A Jackson. The Diamondbacks began to diversify the young catcher, who was exposed to center field late in the season. The 22-year-old is expected to move up to Triple-A Reno in 2020 and perhaps continue the experimentation at positions other than catcher, as the Diamondbacks appear to be happy with the development of Carson Kelly behind the dish in MLB. The organization feels Varsho is a good enough athlete to handle multiple positions, including second base.

Varsho has started two games in center field this week for Double-A Jackson, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The Diamondbacks still like Varsho as a catcher, but they also know he's an athlete that can handle other positions. "We just feel like we have an athlete that we're going to want to expose to different places on the diamond," Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said. "And he rakes. It's about giving him every opportunity in the future to impact our major-league roster." The timing of this experiment coincides with Carson Kelly's emergence as a major-league catcher, something Hazen acknowledged has "changed things a little bit." If Kelly mans the position as the primary starter and Varsho is hitting -- he has an .899 OPS over 102 games at Jackson -- it makes sense to find another position for him in the DH-less National League.

Varsho has a league-leading .897 OPS for Double-A Jackson in the Southern League.

Varsho has picked up the pace since the middle of July, slashing .361/.442/.735 with seven home runs, six doubles, two triples and 16 RBI over 23 games. That kind of hitting along with his speed -- Varsho's stolen 18 bases (caught four times) -- makes him an intriguing prospect at catcher. He's produced well enough at the dish to earn a promotion to Triple-A Reno.

Varsho went 7-for-9 with three doubles for Double-A Jackson while starting in both halves of Monday's doubleheader with Mobile.

Varsho was behind the plate for all seven innings of the first game, then served as Jackson's designated hitter in the nightcap. After the seven-hit performance, Varsho's season line now rests at .295/.375/.505. With five home runs already under his belt, Varsho is nearly halfway to last season's total of 12, which he compiled between two levels.

Varsho (hand) was reinstated from the 7-day disabled list at High-A Visalia on Friday and has appeared in two games with the affiliate, going 1-for-9 with three strikeouts.

Varsho was sidelined for approximately six weeks with a fractured hand, creating only a minor speed bump in his development. On the whole this season, the 22-year-old is slashing .283/.368/.453 with eight home runs and 15 steals in 253 plate appearances, validating his standing as one of the top catching prospects in the lower minors.

Varsho (hand) has appeared in three rehab games in the rookie-level Arizona League, going a combined 6-for-12 with four extra-base hits in those contests.

Varsho has been on the shelf since mid-June with a fractured hand, but looks like he could be closing in on a return from the 7-day disabled list. The 22-year-old was behind the plate for all nine innings in his last appearance Monday and should soon settle back into an everyday role at High-A Visalia. Over his 57 games at Visalia prior to getting shut down with the injury, Varsho was slashing .290/.377/.467 with eight home runs and a 15-for-18 success rate on stolen-base attempts.

Varsho was diagnosed Monday with a fractured hamate bone in his hand, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic Arizona reports.

Varsho, one of the team's top prospects, was hitting .290/.377/.467 for High-A Visalia before suffering the injury Thursday, resulting in his placement on the 7-day disabled list a day later. The Diamondbacks are still determining if surgery is necessary, leaving his timetable for a return murky. Consider him out indefinitely for the time being.

Varsho recorded a season-high three hits -- including his third home run of the campaign -- for High-A Visalia in the club's 9-1 win over Inland Empire on Sunday.

Varsho fell a triple shy of the cycle in the contest, elevating his season line to .294/.407/.500 in the process. Along with his achievements at the plate, Varsho has been active on the bases, nabbing five steals in seven attempts. If the athletic backstop is able to maintain his current level of play for the next couple of months, he could earn a promotion to Double-A Jackson before season's end.

Varsho went 2-for-5 with a run, a run batted in, a strikeout and a stolen base in his debut for High-A Visalia.

The toolsy catcher hit fifth for the Rawhide against Rancho Cucamonga, wasting little time showing off his impressive athleticism and hitting ability. He should put up big numbers in the hitter-friendly California League this year, possibly flirting with a 20/20 season, which would really propel him up prospect rankings.