Padres Reliever Luis Perdomo Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

Luis Perdomo of the San Diego Padres, last month. Photo by K C Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune/Shutterstock (10783800u)

The San Diego Padres’ Luis Perdomo, one of the team’s most talented relief pitchers, underwent Tommy John surgery last week and is expected to miss the entire 2021 season.

Perdomo began his career with San Diego as a starting pitcher before transitioning to a relief role last season. The Dominican righty made progress in the bullpen, posting a 4.00 ERA in 47 appearances with 55 strikeouts.

The flame-thrower was expected to be a key part of the Padres’ bullpen this season too but struggled in 10 games before being shut down for the season with what was described as “forearm tightness” at the time.

Perdomo pitched only 17.1 innings before making his final appearance on September 16th vs. the Dodgers. He posted a 5.71 ERA, an inflated number that might have been partially due to his arm troubles.

Unfortunately for Perdomo, his torn UCL and the subsequent surgery requires an 18-month recovery period typically, meaning that he may not be ready to pitch until spring 2022.

The 27-year-old’s absence will leave San Diego with a hole in its bullpen in the upcoming season, which will force team brass and manager Jayce Tingler to search for a replacement for him in their quest to qualify for the playoffs again.

Ben loves sports so much but prefers watching other people do it. He prefers not to share what teams he's supporting but he is willing to admit that Lebron James is, in fact, the king.