David Peralta posted a picture of himself from a hospital bed two weeks after the Los Angeles Dodgers were surprisingly defeated by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series. The surgery appeared to be on Peralta’s left elbow or arm.
Neither Peralta nor the Dodgers have disclosed any information regarding the operation.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes stated they were unaware of any impending surgeries during their press conference to close off the 2023 season.
As a rookie in 2014, Peralta started his career in the National League West with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he stayed until being moved to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022 during the trade deadline.
After undergoing back surgery in the off-season, Peralta signed a $6.5 million, one-year contract with the Dodgers. The morning following the 2023 World Series, he is one of the 12 Dodgers who will be eligible to sign free agents.
The seasoned outfielder mostly played platoon in left field but managed to stay healthy throughout the season, hitting.259/.294/.381 with 25 doubles, seven home runs, and 55 RBI across 133 games.
Peralta was hit by a pitch on September 10 and was sidelined for one game, but there were no obvious symptoms of a left elbow or arm injury. The only indications that Peralta had been hit, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, were minor swelling and the appearance of baseball seams on his skin. X-rays came up negative.
Peralta’s output at the plate had already decreased significantly in the second half before that. Peralta stayed in the Dodgers lineup for all three NLDS games despite some of those troubles, and he finished the series 1-for-6 with a double and one strikeout.
David Peralta is appreciated by Torey Lovullo.
Peralta played down his NLDS matchup with the Diamondbacks, but manager Torey Lovullo spoke up about their long connection and shared history.
“I found David to be a player that I related to; I valued his work ethic, his integrity, and his capacity to establish emotional connections with me, the players in his vicinity, and the staff,” Lovullo stated.
“And he made an incredible connection with the community after that. Because of the freight train and everything, I know that he was a favorite among the fans. He is sentimental. However, what he accomplished within our baseball community and in Phoenix City is quite remarkable.
“I also like to watch David compete and go out there, much like Mookie Betts.” We obviously don’t want them to succeed. At all times, we try to figure out how to get them out. However, I become rather happy for them when I see them from a distance when they’re succeeding and making the team win.