ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves may have entered the second half of the season with serious concerns about the depth of their starting rotation, but Martín Pérez is helping ease some of those worries at exactly the right time.
The veteran left-hander delivered another outstanding performance Tuesday night, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing only four hits and striking out two as the Braves defeated the New York Mets, 4-0, at Truist Park. The victory came just one week after Atlanta faced criticism for failing to acquire a frontline starter before the MLB Trade Deadline.
Rather than immediately searching for another emergency solution, the Braves have watched several of their existing starters step forward. Pérez has arguably been the biggest surprise of that group.
The 35-year-old has now extended his scoreless streak to 18 consecutive innings, giving Atlanta another reliable arm at a time when the rotation has been dealing with injuries and uncertainty.
Manager Walt Weiss praised Pérez’s consistency and the work he has put in to become such an important part of the staff.
“It’s really cool to see a guy like Martín being rewarded,” Weiss said, emphasizing how much the veteran has meant to the Braves.
Pérez’s emergence is particularly notable considering how uncertain his place on the roster once appeared. He arrived at Spring Training as a non-roster invitee, later signed back with Atlanta after being designated for assignment in April, and has since developed into one of the team’s most dependable starters.
His current scoreless streak is the third-longest active streak among MLB starting pitchers, trailing only Drew Rasmussen and Sandy Alcantara, who have each reached 20 consecutive scoreless innings.
And Pérez’s recent run extends beyond Tuesday’s outing. Since returning from the injured list following a bruised left forearm, he has allowed only three earned runs across 25 innings, giving the Braves a level of stability they desperately needed.
Pérez keeps Atlanta’s rotation together
The Braves’ rotation has been described as one of the thinner groups among postseason contenders, particularly after the club failed to add an established frontline starter at the trade deadline.
Yet the situation looks considerably healthier than it did a few weeks ago.
Chris Sale remains the clear ace and has posted a 2.20 ERA, one of the best marks in baseball. Bryce Elder has also provided valuable innings, while Tyler Mahle has immediately shown promise since joining Atlanta.
Grant Holmes has similarly responded whenever his rotation spot appeared uncertain, producing a 2.45 ERA across his past seven starts.
Pérez now gives Atlanta another dependable option alongside those pitchers.
The veteran lefty has become particularly important because he has consistently given the Braves length while limiting damage. His ability to work deep into games has also helped protect an Atlanta bullpen that has been asked to absorb additional innings throughout the season.
Reinforcements could soon create a “good problem”
While Pérez’s performance is encouraging, Atlanta could soon have an unusual problem for an injury-riddled rotation: too many legitimate options.
Reynaldo López is working his way back from left-knee inflammation and threw a bullpen session Tuesday. He is eligible to return as soon as Saturday, although López indicated that he does not expect to be activated that quickly.
At the same time, AJ Smith-Shawver continues his progression following Tommy John surgery.
Smith-Shawver made an emergency start for Atlanta on July 29 and was subsequently optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. He dominated during his latest rehab outing Tuesday, striking out seven batters over 5 1/3 scoreless innings.
Because he is still effectively working his way back from surgery, the Braves have some flexibility with how they handle his workload and eventual return.
But his talent could make it difficult to keep him out of the rotation for long.
His high-powered fastball, splitter and slider give him the arsenal of a potential postseason starter, and Atlanta could eventually view him as one of its most dangerous playoff weapons.
Atlanta’s current rotation is stronger than expected
With Pérez pitching at this level, the Braves’ rotation currently looks far less vulnerable than it did immediately after the trade deadline.
Chris Sale: Sale remains Atlanta’s most dependable frontline option, carrying a 2.20 ERA and providing the type of ace-level performance expected from a postseason starter.
Bryce Elder: Elder has quietly provided stability over a long stretch, posting a 3.73 ERA across his past 30 starts. His ability to consistently work six or more innings has been particularly valuable.
Tyler Mahle: Mahle has made an encouraging impression since joining Atlanta, including a six-inning, nine-strikeout performance against the Yankees. His 3.27 ERA across his past eight starts suggests he could become an important part of the rotation.
Grant Holmes: Holmes has repeatedly answered questions about his role with strong performances. He owns a 2.45 ERA over his past seven starts and has completed at least five innings in six of those outings.
Martín Pérez: Pérez has arguably been Atlanta’s most consistent pitcher alongside Sale recently. His 18-inning scoreless streak and only three earned runs allowed over 25 innings since returning from the IL have made him extremely difficult to remove from the rotation.
That group gives Atlanta considerably more stability than the club appeared to have heading into August.
What happens when López returns?
The biggest question may involve López.
Before returning to the rotation earlier this season, López had worked primarily as a reliever. However, he appeared much more motivated and effective after being moved back into the starting rotation near the end of June.
That creates a difficult decision for Atlanta.
The Braves could potentially return López to the bullpen once he is healthy, but doing so would mean removing a starter who has already demonstrated that he can contribute in the rotation.
Alternatively, Atlanta could temporarily adjust its rotation or manage workloads to accommodate him.
Neither decision will be easy.
The same is true of Smith-Shawver.
Atlanta has to determine how many starts the young right-hander needs before the postseason and whether he can be trusted with a meaningful playoff assignment.
With his swing-and-miss arsenal and ability to generate strikeouts, Smith-Shawver could ultimately become a major weapon in October.
The Braves may have found their answer without making another trade
The irony of Atlanta’s current situation is that the team was criticized for not acquiring a frontline starter, yet its existing pitchers have collectively done enough to prevent the rotation from collapsing.
Pérez’s emergence has been a major part of that turnaround.
The veteran lefty was hardly viewed as the obvious solution when he arrived as a non-roster invitee. Instead, he has gradually earned his way into the rotation and now looks like one of the staff’s most trustworthy arms.
His performance against the Mets continued that trend.
With Ozzie Albies providing the game’s first run with a fifth-inning homer and Matt Olson adding a two-run blast in the eighth, Pérez finally received the offensive support his pitching deserved.
Olson’s homer also moved him to 35 home runs, tying him with Kyle Schwarber, Junior Caminero and Yordan Alvarez for the MLB home-run lead.
The combination of Pérez’s pitching and Atlanta’s timely power gave the Braves a comfortable 4-0 victory.
A potentially important development for October
The Braves still have plenty of decisions to make before the postseason, but Pérez’s recent performance gives the club another reason for optimism.
Instead of desperately searching for rotation depth, Atlanta may soon have to figure out how to fit several quality pitchers into a limited number of starting spots.
That is a much better problem to have.
If Sale remains healthy, Elder and Mahle continue providing dependable innings, Holmes maintains his recent form and Pérez continues pitching like he has over the past month, the Braves could enter the postseason with considerably more rotation depth than many expected.
And if López and Smith-Shawver return at full strength, Atlanta could suddenly have enough options to mix and match depending on matchups, workload and postseason strategy.
For now, Pérez has earned his place.
His latest scoreless outing not only helped Atlanta shut out a division rival—it also provided another strong indication that the Braves’ supposedly fragile rotation may be quietly becoming one of the team’s biggest strengths heading into the stretch run.
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