Dodgers News: David Peralta Returns from ‘Unbelievable’ WBC Feeling No Pain in His Back
Dodgers outfielder David Peralta has officially returned from the World Baseball Classic. Peralta played for Team Venezuela, who was beat by Team USA in the quarterfinal round in one of the best games of the tournament.
Upon making his return, Peralta spoke to the media at Camelback Ranch, and raved about the “unbelievable” atmosphere that was the WBC.
“The time of my life,” said Peralta. “I’ve always wanted to be in an All-Star Game … this was my All-Star Game.”
per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register
This has been the sentiment from a lot of players who have played in the tournament, including the Dodgers own Mookie Betts and Austin Barnes. This tournament has been far from a meaningless few weeks, and the players have made that clear.
After playing in five games for Venezuela in which Peralta played extremely well — going 5-14 with two doubles, four RBIs, three walks and just one strikeout — he was asked about his back, which required offseason surgery. He said he didn’t even think about it throughout the tournament, which is great news for his health going into the 2023 season (per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic).
It was awesome seeing Peralta come up with big hits and make some nice plays in the outfield for Venezuela. It’s also nice to know he’s fully healthy going into the 2023 season, as he could end up playing a huge role as a veteran in the Dodgers outfield.
LA’s outfield is wide open at this point in spring, and it seems like manager Dave Roberts is going to ride whoever’s hot. So, if Peralta can continue this momentum into the new year, and get off to a hot start at the plate and in the field, he could earn himself a ton of playing time early in the season.
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