Diamondbacks first baseman will undergo surgery on both his left elbow and shoulder later this month, . The rookie suffered a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder. The procedures make it likely that Locklear will open the 2026 season on the injured list. reports that the team is hopeful hell be ready for game action by the end of Spring Training. That wouldnt give him much time to get used to facing MLB pitching, and the Snakes would probably have him open the season on the IL so he could go on a minor league rehab stint. Its po sible hes back sometime in April, though theres obviously a wide range of outcomes for a player coming off simultaneous significant surgeries. Both injuries occurred on the same play. Locklear, a right-handed thrower, was playing first base against Boston on September 7. hit a that threw high and wide to first base. Locklear stretched his left arm up and away from his body while trying to keep Andy Ibanez Jersey his foot on the bag. Wong collided with Locklears arm as he ran through the base. The play resulted in a two-run error to give Boston a 5-4 lead theyd never relinquish. Locklear was knocked out for the season. A former second-round pick by the Mariners, Locklear was the key piece of Arizonas return in the trade. Seattle hadnt given him much of a big league opportunity. The D-Backs had traded to the Ms a week earlier, so they plugged Locklear in as their primary first baseman. He had a tough time in his first regular look at big league pitching. The Virginia Commonwealth product batted .175/.267/.262 while striking out 37% of the time acro s 116 plate appearances. While it wasnt an impre sive MLB look, Locklear has little left to prove against minor league pitching. Hed turned in a .316/.401/.542 slash with 19 homers and 18 stolen bases over 98 Triple-A contests in the Seattle system. Thats fantastic production even in the Pacific Coast League. On Wednesday, Gambadoro that the Diamondbacks would make a significant offseason move at first base. Its unclear if the extent of Locklears injuries will change the calculus. The Snakes presumably still want to give him the opportunity to get more comfortable against big league pitching. Yet hes likely to at least begin the season on the injured list and its not hard to imagine elbow and shoulder injuries impacting his swing even when hes able to get back on the field. is the presumptive starter for the time being. Hes coming off a solid .258/.362/.434 showing overall, though the positives were mostly concentrated in a huge first month. Smith hit .222/.311/.351 while striking out a third of the time after the start of May. He mi sed all of September with a quad strain. The Snakes also dont have a true designated hitter, leaving open the po sibility of bringing in a veteran bat to fill one of those positions while letting Locklear, Smith and compete for playing time at the other. and Naylor top the free agent cla s at the position. That kind of splash is unlikely given Arizonas greater need for additions in both the rotation and bullpen. A reunion with or a one-year deal for or could be on the table. is unlikely to be tendered a contract by the Red Sox, while or may find themselves in trade rumors. Ray Boone Jersey