Lovullo: Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo a ‘super talented young player’
Apr 3, 2021, 5:30 PM | Updated: 5:53 pm
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 15: Geraldo Perdomo #82 of the Arizona Diamondbacks at bat in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners during the MLB spring training baseball game at Peoria Sports Complex on March 15, 2021 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
When Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo got the call he was headed to the big leagues, he was in shock.
“It does feel amazing,” Perdomo said via Zoom. “When (head of player development Josh) Barfield called me, I was really, really surprised. I was crying a little bit and happy. Really excited to be a part of the team.”
The 21-year-old joined the 26-man roster after shortstop Nick Ahmed was placed on the injured list following a continued battle with inflammation in his right knee.
“Nicky was doing an unbelievable job of working hard, doing everything that was asked for him and then some,” manager Torey Lovullo told reporters via Zoom.
“If this was the last week of the season he could play, but we’ve still got 160 to go and we need him for a lot of those 160,” Lovullo added. “So it just made a lot of sense for us to take the hustle out of this, not make a hasty decision or emotional decision and take him off of his feet for the next eight days.
Perdomo, a switch-hitter from the Dominican Republic, appeared in 12 Cactus League games for Arizona this spring, posting a .222 batting average with two hits and four RBI.
“A super, talented young player for us that we have been growing to love as we’ve all got a chance to watch him perform,” Lovullo said of the shortstop. “There’s an ease to his game defensively.
“He is still growing and learning as a hitter every single day but he has a very stubborn at bat from both sides of the plate, so it made a lot of sense to us to have that versatility, that type of versatile player join us and get his opportunity.”
Perdomo signed with the team at the age of 16 during the 2016-17 international period and is ranked No. 3 by MLB on the D-backs’ prospect list.
In his three years of minor league action for the D-backs, Perdomo hit .278/.411/.368 for a .778 OPS
“Right now I feel healthy, I feel that I can help the team, I can help my teammates,” Perdomo said. “I’m so happy, man.”
