Martin Perez took a Juan Soto line drive off the forearm in the fifth inning Sunday and didn’t even bother throwing a warmup pitch before heading back to the clubhouse. That kind of exit says everything about how that 92 mph rocket felt. The Braves eventually lost 10-2 to the Mets, but the real story isn’t the final score.
Perez has been struggling for weeks already. His ERA over his last six starts sits at 4.85, and that’s after a 3.54 mark across 18 total appearances for Atlanta this season. So it’s not like he was cruising before the injury. The Braves just don’t have a ton of depth right now, and losing a starter — even one who’s been shaky — could push them into a move they’d rather not make.
If Perez lands on the injured list, the team could recall JR Ritchie, who got optioned down Sunday morning. But Ritchie isn’t a cure-all. He’s young. He’s unproven at this level. The Braves rotation behind Chris Sale has been a question mark for weeks, and the injuries are piling up. Spencer Schwellenbach hasn’t even started a rehab assignment yet, so he’s not walking through that door anytime soon.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield floated the idea of the Braves going after Twins starter Joe Ryan. Ryan’s under team control through 2027, which means he won’t come cheap. But Schoenfield’s logic is blunt: once you get past Sale, do you really trust anyone else in a playoff series? Ryan might be the best starter available outside of Tarik Skubal, and the price tag reflects that.
The Braves front office has some decisions to make. They could stand pat and hope the guys they have figure it out. Or they could swing a trade that patches up the rotation for a postseason run. Either way, Perez’s forearm took a direct hit, and now the whole pitching staff feels the bruise.
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