In the third inning of Sunday’s game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, Geraldo Perdomo took a 93 mph line drive directly off the helmet and had to leave the game. The ball was hit by Ketel Marte — his own teammate. Perdomo dropped to the ground immediately, was attended to by medical staff from both teams for several minutes, and ultimately walked off the field under his own power — earning a standing ovation from the Houston crowd. The Diamondbacks offered no official diagnosis by the time the game wrapped up.
How It Happened: Teammate vs. Teammate
Perdomo had led off the inning with a single to right field and was running toward second base when Marte ripped a line drive with a 93 mph exit velocity — that’s the speed off the bat, not the pitch from starter Peter Lambert. The ball caught him on the side of the helmet before he had any chance to react.
Marte, visibly shaken, dropped to his knees beside Perdomo as play stopped. When the shortstop managed to sit up and eventually get to his feet, Marte gave him a pat on the back and the Daikin Park crowd responded with applause. Manager Torey Lovullo pulled Perdomo immediately: Ildemaro Vargas shifted from first base to shortstop, and Tim Tawa came in to cover first.
Walking Off Doesn’t Close the Book
A player leaving under his own power is a good sign — but it doesn’t rule out a concussion or other internal injury. MLB’s mandatory concussion protocol, triggered any time there’s a head impact, can keep a player out of the lineup for days or even weeks depending on the medical evaluation. The Diamondbacks gave no details on Perdomo’s condition by the end of Sunday’s reports.
The timing is rough for Arizona. The D-backs head into the week at 75-68, with Perdomo as a key piece of their postseason push. The 26-year-old Dominican shortstop was hitting .250 with 9 home runs and 48 RBI on the season — solid numbers for a shortstop who already has a 2025 Silver Slugger Award on his résumé. Losing him to the concussion protocol in the final stretch of September would shake up both the defensive alignment and the offensive lineup for Lovullo’s club.
The Bigger Picture: Arizona and Houston Are Both Chasing October
Sunday’s game closed out a three-game series that went into the final day tied 1-1, after Arizona won in extra innings on Saturday. The Astros came in at 73-70, also very much in the hunt for an American League postseason spot.
The Perdomo incident overshadowed everything on the field and left one number no lineup can plan for: a 93 mph line drive off the bat of your own teammate, in the first inning. The good news is he walked off. How healthy he actually is — and whether Arizona has him available this week — will depend on what the medical reports say next.
