Geraldo Perdomo Looks Better Than Ever

Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo wasn’t just back to looking like his old self. The 21-year-old shortstop looked better than ever.

Perdomo struggled badly with Double-A Amarillo through early July, hitting just .151/.305/.204 in 47 games. That prompted the Diamondbacks to transfer him to the development list and bring him back to their spring training facility in Scottsdale, Ariz.

For nearly a month, Perdomo worked to revamp his swing and regain his confidence. Based on the early returns, it appeared to be a successful stint.

Upon returning to Double-A Central on Aug. 5, the switch-hitting Perdomo slashed .311/.410/.489 in his next 24 games, marrying his strong approach with a newfound ability to drive the ball with power.

D-backs farm director Josh Barfield said Perdomo’s high-end exit velocity is up 6 mph from where it was before the downtime.

As a member of the 40-man roster, Perdomo had to agree to go on the development list. Barfield said Perdomo wasn’t excited about it initially but eventually said he trusted that the organization had the best intentions.

“We told him this is going to be the best thing that could ever happen to you,” Barfield said. “You’re going to get a chance to go work on some things and not have to figure it out while trying to get hits and survive in Double-A. This is going to allow you to reach the potential we all see in you.”

Perdomo, who has always been known for his bat-to-ball skills, had seen his strikeout rate spike to 28% upon his return. While Barfield said that would be a fair trade-off for the extra power, he expects the strikeouts to come back down as Perdomo gets more accustomed to his new swing.

D-backs assistant general manager Mike Fitzgerald said the club was working to get Perdomo to use his legs more to make his swing both more powerful and more efficient.

“The season kind of wore him down with the struggles early on,” Barfield said. “It was nice to be able to hit reset. He made some physical changes and mechanical changes in his swing that are allowing him to drive the ball really like he never has before.”

SNAKE BITES

— Shortstop Jordan Lawlar, the sixth overall pick in July, is out for the season due to a posterior labrum tear in his left shoulder that required surgery.

— Righthander Brandon Pfaadt logged three strong starts after moving to Double-A Amarillo, the third level he has reached in his first professional season. Pfaadt, a fifth-rounder out of Bellarmine University last year, had a combined 2.57 ERA with 141 strikeouts through 115.2 innings.