The Braves are running out of margin for error with Martin Perez, and the timing could hardly be worse.
Atlanta knew there were questions when it leaned on Perez so heavily to open the 2026 season. At this point in his career, he’s basically a junkballer, and there was plenty of doubt about whether he still had enough left to hold down a big league rotation spot. A strong start to the year eased some of that concern, but it never really erased it.
Perez opened with a useful stretch, putting up a 2.25 ERA over his first nine appearances and logging 36 innings. Even then, the warning signs were there underneath the surface. His 4.08 FIP hinted that the results might not last, and lately the numbers have started to catch up with him.
Over his last eight outings, Perez has looked much closer to the pitcher that skeptics feared Atlanta might get. He’s posted a 4.17 ERA in that span, with both his strikeout rate sliding and his walk rate spiking.
The command has become the issue, and when Perez can’t stay in the zone, he doesn’t have much room for error. Misses are getting hit, and that’s a dangerous place for a pitcher with his margin.
His last two starts showed the problem clearly. Against the Padres, he lasted just four innings, allowed three runs, and issued four walks while spending most of the outing under pressure. Then on Tuesday against the Cardinals, the walks piled up again, and one cutter left over the plate turned the whole start into a mess for Atlanta.
The frustrating part for the Braves is that there isn’t an obvious escape hatch right now. They were already trying to patch together their rotation with Spencer Strider out and Grant Holmes moving back to the bullpen. And from what the situation sounds like, a trade to address the problem may not even be possible until after the draft.
So for now, Atlanta is left hoping Perez can reach back and find that early-season version of himself again. The recent trend line, though, points the other way.
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