The Miami Marlins are optioning rookie pitcher Eury Perez to the minors. The move is raising eyebrows as the 20-year-old hurler has been one of the best arms in the rotation for the Marlins as they chase the team's first postseason berth since 2020.
Perez has looked every bit the part of a big league pitcher for the majority of his first 11 MLB starts. He went six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, allowing three hits and one earned run before being relieved in a 3-0 loss.
Eury Perez has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his 11 starts for the Miami Marlins. However, one massive thorn in his side was a shellacking at the hands of the Atlanta Braves on July 1. Perez had what might be the shortest outing he will ever have, lasting just 1/3 of an inning while allowing six earned runs on seven hits in a 7-0 defeat.
However, other than that game, Eury Perez has largely been lights out for the Miami Marlins. He allowed just one earned run total over five starts in June, winning three games in the span. Perez's other two June starts were no-decisions as the Marlins bats were largely silent in a 2-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on June 20 and a 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on June 9.
It could be that the Miami Marlins are trying to keep Eury Perez on schedule due to the upcoming All-Star Break, or that the team is trying to limit the innings load on their young budding star pitcher. Perez has thrown 53-1/3 innings so far this season.
Perez has proven to be a trenendous replacement for Pablo Lopez, traded by the Marlins to the Minnesota Twins last offseason in a "need for need" trade for second baseman Luis Arraez.
Miami Marlins league stats
Perez has proven to be a very valuable performer for the Marlins, especially given the tremendous struggles of Miami staff ace and 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara.
The Marlins enter the weekend at 51-38, eight games behind the NL East-leading Braves, but leading the Wild Card chase by 2.5 games.