It has been nine years since D.J. Peterson, then a promising young prospect fresh off a first-round selection in the amateur Draft, had his life and career dramatically altered by a hit by pitch that shattered his jaw and, ultimately, his confidence. But Peterson, who has spent the 2022 season as the first baseman for Triple-A Albuquerque in the Rockies' system, is a professional baseball survivor of a different sort. While he might never get his call to the Majors, he has hard-earned perspective on the grind of the game and the importance of mental health that benefits not only himself but his teammates. His story is a reminder that -- in a game in which what happens between the ears affects so much of what happens between the lines -- to triumph over trauma is a remarkable achievement. |
