Outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who has been out since last season due to ACL surgery, has been activated for Arizona Diamondbacks.
It's been quite a while since Arizona Diamondbacks players and fans have seen outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. take the field.
That all changed on Saturday when the Diamondbacks activated Gurriel in time for him to make his season debut at Chase Field. The D-backs are entering their second game of a three-game series at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Last September, Gurriel underwent surgery for an ACL injury, according to MLB.com.
Arizona designated infielder Luken Baker for assignment, making room for Gurriel on the roster.
Gurriel provides the Diamondbacks with an additional punch in the lineup. Before suffering his ACL injury last season, Gurriel had 19 home runs and 80 RBIs. He's played in 407 MLB games since joining the franchise in 2023.
With that number of games played, Gurriel only trails Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Geraldo Perdomo on the team during that time.
When asked about Gurriel's return ahead of Saturday, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen mentioned how much work Gurriel had put into his rehabilitation.
"I don't know. I know he was very motivated," Hazen said. "I know he went to Miami and worked out with his rehab guy there, and every time I checked in during the offseason, they were like, 'He's doing great. He's reporting that he's way ahead of schedule, that he feels great.'
"And that was consistent from start to finish," Hazen continued. "So he pushed it hard, and he says he feels great. And he's pushed. He's wanted to push. I'm sure if we left it up to him, he would have been on the Opening Day roster."
Look for Gurriel to get some at-bats on Saturday night against the Blue Jays.
GM Mike Hazen Talks on Geraldo Perdomo's Slow Start
Longtime Diamondbacks reporter Steve Gilbert of MLB.com had a lengthy interview with Hazen, not only asking about Gurriel but the slow start that Geraldo Perdomo has gotten off to in the 2026 MLB season.
Hazen was asked what he's been seeing from Perdomo himself and why he's gotten off to a slow start.
"He's having a great approach. It seems like he's gone through hitting the ball on the ground a lot to popping the ball up a little bit," Hazen said.
The D-backs GM indicated that he thought Perdomo was working to fix some mechanical issues at the plate. He also added that he thought it was "unreasonable" for Perdomo to just start out this season like he finished last season.
Hazen mentioned that Perdomo was on a four-month hot streak, proving to be one of baseball's best players.
"And you know, now he's got to get started back up again. So, is he pressing? You'd have to ask him," Hazen said. "I don't know. He never seems like he is. He's always the same person every day I see him, always ultra-energetic and confident so I'm sure it's just a matter of time."
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!