D-backs’ Torey Lovullo expects to use Buddy Kennedy in platoon system at 3B

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks announced a roster move Saturday, sending struggling third baseman Emmanuel Rivera to triple-A Reno and selecting the contract of infielder Buddy Kennedy from the Aces.

The move comes with Rivera hitless in his last 19 at bats and in the month of August.

“I think there’s more in there for (Rivera),” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said pregame.

“Just fine for him is not good enough for me because of the things he’s capable of doing — controlling the zone and having an all-field approach, driving baseball in all directions. … Offensively, we felt like to get him kickstarted when he first got called up here, it would be the best for him to go down to Reno and get consistent at bats and get that timing back.”

Kennedy, 24, has swung a great bat this season in the Pacific Coast League. He is batting .318 with a whopping .447 on-base percentage. He has five home runs and 46 runs batted in 87 games.

Lovullo said the D-backs, who have lost nine games in a row and sit 57-59, are “looking for things to spark” them and acknowledged Kennedy’s PCL success.

“Buddy was raking and doing his job in Triple-A,” Lovullo said. “… We are looking for some ways to create some offense, get some run scoring opportunities going and push us in the right direction. Buddy will get this opportunity and we’ll see where it takes us.”

With third baseman Evan Longoria on the injured list and Rivera now in the minor leagues, Lovullo said he thinks he will use a platoon system between Kennedy, trade deadline acquisition Jace Peterson and Geraldo Perdomo at the hot corner.

Kennedy has seen much more time at second base for Reno this season but has made 22 appearances at third. He logged eight innings of third base in his short time in the big leagues last season. Perdomo has played just four innings this season at third base, spending the majority of his time at shortstop and second base. In his career, he has only made 10 appearances at the position. Peterson is the most experienced of the group, having logged 1,708 innings at the hot corner in MLB.

Zac Gallen gets the ball for Arizona against San Diego at 5:10 p.m. on 98.7, the Arizona Sports app and ArizonaSports.com.