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Countdown to Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day: D-5, David Peralta

Can the Freight Train make a successful return from the engineering depot?

By Jim McLennan

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Arizona Diamondbacks v Kansas City Royals Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images

We asked you to rank the 40-man roster along with the 16 non-roster invitees to spring training, and every day between now and the eve of Opening Day, we’ll have a profile of one of those Diamondbacks.

D minus 5: David Peralta

  • Date of birth: August 14, 1987
  • Ht/Wt: 6’1”, 210 lbs
  • Position: Outfielder
  • Status: 40-man roster
  • Bats/Throws: L/L
  • 2016 MLB numbers: 48 games. 183 PA, .251/.295/.433, 4 HR, 15 RBI
  • SnakePit Rating: 7.55 [breakdown of votes below]

A bit surprised to see Peralta ranked in the top five here. Maybe it’s the Freight Train’s social media presence, and/or a vast sock-puppet army. If so, points for subtlety, and not all voting 10... David’s 2016 season was derailed (as it were) by injury, Peralta requiring three separate trips to the disabled list.

  • May 15, 2016 - Placed OF David Peralta on the 15-day DL (right wrist).
  • June 7, 2016 - Reinstated OF David Peralta from the 15-day DL.
  • June 20, 2016 - Placed OF David Peralta on the 15-day DL (back).
  • July 29, 2016 - Activated OF David Peralta from the 15-day DL
  • August 7, 2016 - Placed OF David Peralta on the 15-day DL (right wrist).
  • August 27, 2016 - Transferred OF David Peralta to the 60-day DL.

The wrist problems seemed to be a hangover from an attempted sliding catch, late in the 2015 season, and ended with Peralta having surgery to repair a ligament in his wrist last fall. That stopped him from swinging a bat until January, but he now feels 100% healthy again, for virtually the first time since September 2015. The projections aren’t sure what to make of Peralta for this season. This is what you’d expect, being a former pitcher with a convoluted path to the majors, who only appeared in less than one-third of our games last year. If healthy, he should hopefully be back toward the level of output seen in 2015, rather than the muted, intermittent production of 2016.

He will be using a different bat this year, following Jake Lamb and Chris Owings in switching to ax-handled lumber. Like Lamb, David is doing it more to take care of his limb than as a fashion statement. “I think it’s going to be better for my hand. It feels good. Everybody’s starting to use it. I guess it’s getting popular. I’m not doing it for that; I’m doing what’s best for my hand. I started trying it in January and it feels good. I think it takes a little more pressure off your hand when you’re swinging. Whatever I have to do to take care of myself, I’m going to do it.” After last year, he might want to consider wrapping himself in bubble-wrap between innings.

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