Braves lose Martín Pérez to injured list ahead of Wild Card round
The short version
- Braves placed Martín Pérez on the 15-day IL with lower back inflammation
- Perez likely unavailable for the first two rounds of the postseason; earliest return Oct. 6 if the move is backdated
- Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle expected to start the first two Wild Card games; Grant Holmes is the other Game 3 option
- Atlanta won the NL East over Philadelphia last weekend, its first division title in three years
Atlanta placed the veteran left-hander on the 15-day IL with lower back inflammation, deepening concerns about its postseason pitching plans.
The Atlanta Braves clinched the NL East last weekend, overtaking the Philadelphia Phillies to take the division crown for the first time in three years. The achievement came in a season that did not produce a winning record, making for an unusual path to October baseball.
Even with the division secured, the club heads into the playoffs facing real uncertainty in its starting pitching. The most pressing issue is who would take the ball for a potential Game 3 in the Wild Card round.
Atlanta sports reporter Bill Shanks laid out the likely picture, writing that Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle appear in line for the first two outings, with the third game falling to either Martin Perez or Grant Holmes if the series goes that far.
That question moved toward an answer Thursday, when the club put Perez on the 15-day injured list because of lower back inflammation. According to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, the left-hander will probably be unavailable for the first two rounds of the postseason.
Because of the IL placement, Perez cannot rejoin the active roster until next weekend. Bowman noted that if the transaction is backdated to Monday, the earliest return date would be Oct. 6, which lines up with Game 3 of the NLDS. He also reported that the club does not know whether Elder can come back by the start of the IL window, and that a return before the NLCS may be the optimistic view.
The timing is a setback for Atlanta, which had counted on Perez as an important October contributor. He has delivered strong performances in the season's most important moments, and the club is hoping he is ready as soon as his roster spot opens again. Otherwise, the NLDS presents a tougher challenge for the Braves, who for now can only wait.
Perez, an All-Star, has earned $71 million over his playing career, per the source report.
Fans can watch the Braves next on Friday, September 25, when Atlanta visits the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park. First pitch is set for 7:10 PM EDT on MLB.TV, BravesVision and Marlins.TV.
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