HOUSTON (AP) — Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo left Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Houston Astros with a head contusion after being struck in the helmet by a line drive from Ketel Marte in the third inning.
Manager Torey Lovullo said after the game that Perdomo was under observation but was not in the concussion protocol and that he expects him to return to the lineup Monday.
Perdomo singled to start the third before Marte’s 93 mph single hit him on the side of
the helmet as he ran to second. He immediately fell to the ground and writhed in pain as players from both teams ran to check on him.
He remained on his back for a couple of minutes as trainers tended to him before he sat up. Perdomo talked to trainers for a bit before being helped to his feet and walking off the field on his own power.
Lovullo said he'd “never seen anything like” what happened to Perdomo and was very concerned when he was hit.
“The ball had a little topspin on it and he thought he could get under it and keep moving, but it just kept track of him and hit him,” he said. “And when you go out there and you see him laying on the ground, there’s a lot of uncertainty for everybody, and then there’s some fear, like is he going to be OK?”
Lovullo felt much better once the trainer told him that Perdomo didn't lose consciousness.
“And then he started to respond and talked about some of the pressure that he was feeling in his head, and he was responding and he was spot-on with all of his answers,” Lovullo said. “So at that point we all breathed a collective sigh of relief.”
Lovullo said Perdomo was a little bit dizzy right after he was struck but that all the tests were negative and he was feeling OK after the game.
The manager added that Marte was really upset after hitting him but that he felt better once he saw his teammate postgame.
“Ketel and I both came up here and saw him at the same time, and it was nice to see those two embrace and hug for a second,” Lovullo said.
Ildemaro Vargas moved from first base to shortstop in the bottom of the inning to replace Perdomo and Tim Tawa entered the game to play first base.
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