The scare is over, and that is the only result that really matters. Jordan Lawlar cleared concussion protocol after taking a pitch off the head during Tuesday's game against the Cubs, a development that immediately changes the conversation around Arizona's lineup for Wednesday's series finale.
Lawlar, a 24-year-old who has logged 67 plate appearances in the big leagues this year, exited Tuesday after going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. That line is a footnote now. The real story is that he appears to have come through the incident well enough to be available again far sooner than anyone could have reasonably hoped once a ball hit him in the head and forced him from the game.
Availability matters, but caution matters more
In a season where every lineup decision gets magnified, this is exactly the sort of update a club wants to hear after a head injury. The fact that Lawlar was expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday's finale suggests Arizona avoided the worst-case scenario, even if Tuesday briefly looked like it could become a much bigger problem.
There is still a hard truth buried in the optimism: being cleared does not erase the risk that came with the play itself. Head injuries are not the kind of thing a team shrugs off, no matter how quickly the next game arrives. But from a baseball standpoint, the Diamondbacks can at least move into Wednesday with their young infielder apparently set to go, and that is a meaningful bit of good news after a very uneasy night.
