The Diamondbacks have selected infielder Jesus Valdez to the big league roster, per a team announcement. He’s been optioned to Double-A. Valdez will serve as the club’s 27th man for today’s game against the Padres. If he makes it into the game, it will be his big-league debut.
Arizona and San Diego were permitted to add an extra man for the Mexico City series, but it had to be a position player. After initially declining to make an addition to the roster, the Diamondbacks made the move for the second game of the series. An injury to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo led to the decision, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Perdomo went down with an ankle injury yesterday. The issue isn’t expected to require an IL stint, Piecoro relayed in a separate post.
Valdez was signed by the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic in 2017. He was dealt to the Pirates the following year for David Freese. The infielder had some offensive success in the lower levels of the minors, but was released by Double-A Altoona after a brief stint in 2021. He latched on with the Diamondbacks on a minor league agreement in 2022.
The 28-year-old Valdez has posted modest numbers in the upper levels of Arizona’s system. He has an identical .706 OPS for his career at Double-A (116 games) and Triple-A (47 games). Valdez has scuffled to a .211/.375/.263 line in seven minor league games this year.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
