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The 23-year-old Lamb was a sixth-round draft pick by the Diamondbacks in 2012, but has done nothing but hit on his journey through the minor league, each season posting an average above .300 and OPS's of .930, .969 and .973 in his three years on the farm. He hit 37 home-runs in a total of 244 games, with a K:BB ratio of 229:127. He began 2014 in Double-A Mobile, where he had a line of .318/.399/.551, with 14 home-runs and 79 RBI in 103 games, and was promoted to Triple-A Reno at the start of August. There, he was 9-for-18 with four doubles and a home-run, and it seems the team decided Lamb has nothing left to prove.
All told, Lamb, who will wear #19, hit .327 (128-for-392) with 39 doubles, 15 home runs and 84 RBI in 108 games between Double-A Mobile and Reno this season. He ranked among all Minor Leaguers in extra-base hits (3rd, 59), OPS (9th, .973), RBI (11th) and total bases (17th, 222) at the time of his promotion. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder entered the season rated as the club's No. 9 Prospect by MLB.com, the No. 10 Prospect by Baseball America, and possessing the Best Strike Zone Discipline. The Southern League midseason All-Star was named Mobile's Player of the Month for June and the Organizational Player of the Month for July.
Marte, 30, appeared in 6 games with the D-backs this season and hit .188 (3-for-16) with 1 home run and 3 RBI. The D-backs' 40-man roster remains at 36.