Dillon Peters takes another step forward in return to Indianapolis: 'definitely nice to be home'
INDIANAPOLIS -- Dillon Peters’ heart leapt into his throat. Given the pitch he threw, he knew he deserved it.
On the mound for the Indianapolis Triple-A team, the Cathedral High School graduate left the final pitch of his outing over the middle of the plate at the height of Iowa Cubs first baseman Tyler Payne’s knees. Payne rifled a line drive back at Peters’ head. The southpaw ducked and managed to get his glove on the ball, deflecting it to second baseman Kevin Newman for a groundout to finish the inning.
Peters jogged off the mound having narrowly avoided catastrophe and completed another step in his rehab. Recovering from a back injury, the Pittsburgh Pirates reliever made two appearances in late June for Double-A Altoona. Now he lilely has one more outing in his hometown before he rejoins the big league club.
“Obviously I’m excited, but the alternative is that I’m hurt right now, so I’m not necessarily in the big leagues,” he said. “It’s kind of bittersweet, but it’s definitely nice to be home.”
Peters estimated he had pitched at Victory Field a dozen times in high school, including state championships in 2010 and 2011. He also briefly played for the Indianapolis Triple-A team in 2021, pitching 12 innings.
Peters had only a few days advance notice that he’d be returning home, not that it matters. He’s able to stay in his childhood home during the assignment.
Peters faced the minimum three batters in his 11-pitch inning in Indianapolis, although he suffered some loud contact. Third baseman Rodolfo Castro made a diving stop for the first out, and the second was a flyout to center field around 400 feet from home plate.
But what’s just as important to Peters is that he feels healthy. He hasn’t had issues with his back in any of his rehab outings. He took 11 days off before ramping back into game shape by playing catch and pitching a live batting practice session before joining Altoona.
“I’m just trying to execute pitches, make sure I’m bouncing back and then obviously that my injury is under control and not coming back again,” he said, “which I feel good.”
After spending the past five seasons bouncing between the major and minor leagues with Miami and Los Angeles, Peters had carved out a niche in Pittsburgh’s bullpen before his injury. He made 16 appearances the first two months of the season, including four starts as an opener, and registered a 3.86 ERA.
His next time on the mound in Indianapolis, his last before rejoining the Pirates if all goes well, is scheduled for Thursday.
“I think I’ve got a couple more innings than I did today,” he said. “So just pound the zone and throw some good sequences and execute some good pitches.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Cathedral graduate Dillon Peters pitches for Indianapolis Triple-A team
