The Braves are designating left-hander Martin Perez for assignment, as Walt Weiss told reporters (including Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal Constitution). He’s being replaced on the active roster by southpaw Dylan Dodd, who is being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Perez, 35, is now in the 15th season of his MLB career. He was signed by the Rangers out of Venezuela and made his pro debut all the way back in 2008, but didn’t make it to the big leagues until 2012. Since then, he’s spent his career pitching to more or less league average results as a back-of-the-rotation starter and swing man. He signed with the White Sox last year but spent most of the 2025 season on the injured list with elbow and shoulder issues. For the few outings Perez was able to make last year, he was effective with a 3.54 ERA and 4.24 FIP in 56 1/3 innings of work.
That wasn’t enough to get him a big league deal headed into his age-35 season, but he did latch on with Atlanta on a minor league pact. Though he didn’t initially make the team out of Spring Training, early injuries in the rotation led Atlanta to select Perez to the majors to help eat innings. He did so capably, offering 14 1/3 innings of five-run ball across three appearances for the Braves prior to his DFA. He’s struck out just six in that time, but the results when healthy lately have been solid. He’s posted a 3.46 ERA and 4.46 FIP between the White Sox, Padres, and Braves since getting traded to San Diego at the 2024 trade deadline.
Of course, that hardly makes him a true-talent 3.46 ERA pitcher at this stage of his career. Perez has a long history of volatility when it comes to his results, which has resulted in him making an All-Star appearance in 2022 while struggling to even stay within the range of league average in other years. Taken together, Perez has a career 100 ERA+ across more than 1600 big league innings and should be expected to produce more of that back-of-the-rotation, innings-eating work as long as health permits.
That could make the lefty an intriguing option for any number of teams struggling with pitching injuries in the early going. The Blue Jays, Cubs, and Astros are among the teams that have sent multiple key pitchers to the injured list in recent weeks, and any of them might be willing to roll the dice on Perez and his modest salary in the $3.5MM range. All of those clubs entered 2026 as expected contenders, but even a non-contending club like the White Sox could pick Perez up and slot him into the rotation to help stabilize their rotation after Shane Smith‘s struggles led to him being optioned to the minors this past week.
If Perez does not get plucked off waivers by another club, he could accept an outright assignment to the minors with Atlanta, where he would wait for his next opportunity with the club. Another option would be to elect free agency and test the open market. With that said, Perez might benefit from accepting an outright given that the Braves have their own pitching needs and will surely call upon him again in relatively short order if he stays with the organization.
For now, however, his roster spot will go to Dodd. The lefty has a career 5.68 ERA in the majors but posted a more respectable 3.60 ERA in 35 innings as a relief arm for the Braves last year. He figures to serve as a long reliever for Atlanta in the coming days, a role where he should prove valuable in the short-term while Atlanta uses upcoming days off in the schedule as an opportunity to utilize a four-man rotation. As noted by Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the Braves won’t need a fifth starter until April 21 given the structure of their upcoming schedule. At that point, Perez could rejoin the MLB roster if he’s still in the organization.
Astros need to sign him.
I have to say I didn’t have someone clamoring for Martin Perez on my Bingo card.
Astros need anyone who is healthy
This is shaping up to be one of those years where 6-10 kids who are not ready get called up just to fill spots
Dodd is beyond ready to be called up.
This isn’t Dodd’s first time in the Majors.
Apparently I need to clarify that I was responding to the Astros comment; despite the fact that my response lies directly beneath the Astros comment.
Nope, this is the internet. You are fully responsible for every possible interpretation of your words, regardless of context.
My first thought as well.
Free Didier!!
Pronounced Did-Yay ?
Did-Her
Did-Who Now?
Also, JR Ritchie just had another great AAA start.
Run— I want Didier on my fantasy team but this peculiar thing happens every time I look for a Braves player I want some guy named RunDMC already has them locked up. Except Waldrep, I did manage him somehow, probably after you dumped him lol.
Why ain’t we shipping Suarez off!
Right! Perez was quite a bit better than Suarez. Still not good but Suarez is garbage.
Should have been Jose Suarez. This might really be a terrible move.
I look at the box scores. I don’t watch it.
Same question here. This makes absolutely no sense between the two to DFA
Why couldn’t Perez take Saurez spot? Long Relief or spot starts. Perez pitched 4 innings with no runs out of the pen didn’t he?…makes no sense
I’m thinking they probably think right now there’s a new for SPs with some injuries that he won’t pass through waivers and some team will be on the hook for his remaining of 3.5M salary. If he passes through waivers…then ATL is on the hook (minus league-min from whatever team picks him up). I could be wrong, but though he’s clearly better than Suarez, he could be worth more to someone else. I imagine Suarez is just biding time until Hayden Harris is ready.
The Braves probably think is more likely that Perez passes through waivers than Suarez
Perez didn’t do bad while up. Perhaps Strider’s return is imminent.
They said not til early May.
He will have at least 1 rehab assignment on Thursday. I imagine probably 2 maybe even 3 but we will see.
If he only gets 1 start I guess he would be ready for Tuesday vs Washington. They have an off day Thursday meaning they could start Sale, Holmes, and Lopez vs the Phillies next weekend on normal rest… Then Elder, Strider, and Sale vs the Nationals.
Yeah I just saw where he has rehab start Thursday and probably two more after that. Apparently that article came out right before this one.
he’s been limiting hard hits and barrels and is well above average in not issuing free bases. no, he doesn’t really miss bats to close out a PA with a K but as a lefty… he’ll do pig, he’ll do. With the Orioles down 12 players to the IL… go get’em Elias.
No options. Kremer and Povich are up.
I’m good on Perez. Rather see Brandon Young back up if it came down to it.
Why DFA him? Low 3 era low 4 FIP he is what they need on the team.
I am going to guess that he has concerning peripherals so they jettisoned him now to prevent what they think will be meltdowns in the future and go with the young guy who may have meltdowns in the future.
But those peripherals didn’t effect his results then. He pitched decently. Why would they effect him later? His peripherals later will effect those results.
Unfortunately, teams often do that exact thing. They seem something troubling in the peripheral stats and decide to cut before what they see as inevitable regression.
What stops a team from dfaing yesterdays starter for 4 days to bring up an extra reliever, then un dfaing the SP on the day of his next scheduled start?
Theres gotta be a rule somewhere but grok cant find it
Once a player is dfa’d it cannot be undone. The team would need to purchase his contract again to add him back to the 40 man roster.
Youre right. Grok lied to me.
My guess is they’ll bring Fuentes up when they need another starter in late April. Strider is on track to return in early May, Waldrep probably sometime in June, Schellenbach probably around the break. They have Ritchie in AAA who’s going to get called up eventually this year. And Dodd is a former starter who could probably go 1 time through lineup in a bullpen game in a pinch. I personally would’ve DFA’s Payamps and pushed Perez to the ‘pen, but I don’t know if there were some behind the scenes logistics which prevented that from happening.
I don’t think Perez has ever pitched out of the pen. I think he sees himself as a starter and can get work as a starter elsewhere if not in Atlanta.
he has pitched out of the pen in the past even once already this season where he piggy backed off of Suarez at the end of last month
Problem is: he started yesterday, so he was no good to the Braves for another 4 days. Dodd and Payamps Suarez could all have pitched today if needed, but Perez wouldn’t have been a help until we probably bring up Fuentes, and at the point, he probably gets cut anyway.
He pitched out of the pen for the Braves in the 5th game of the season, I believe.
The Blue Jays will grab him.
Would have rather seen Suarez, he’s awful.
Braves making confusing moves.
Not really that confusing. They preferred some of their other not great pitchers over not great Perez. They probably bring up Fuentes when they need a 5th starter again in a week and a half, and then Strider is due back in early May.
He’s given them a good chance to win in 2 of his 3 starts while Suarez gets torched every time he touches the ball
It is very confusing
It’s not confusing. Perez started yesterday and therefore wouldn’t be available for another 5 days. Suarez ahd Payamps all could pitch today in a pinch, or certainly tomorrow. By the time Perez would’ve been available, and actually needed a 5th starter, they’d be ready to call up Fuentes or Ritchie and he gets cut anyway. I don’t know why people are pretending this is some huge loss for the Braves. It’s not. Payamps and Suarez will be gone as soon as Strider and Waldrep are ready, if not earlier. It’s not that big of a deal
There’s more that goes into these pitching transactions than one MAYBE being a tiny bit better than the others. If you’re gonna end up cutting him in a week anyway, and he won’t be available for another 4 days, what’s the point of keeping him on the bench to do nothing?
Depth if someone’s arm explodes in between? It’s unlikely but Perez could probably throw a couple of innings on 2 or 3 days rest in that event if need be. Teams have had pitchers come in on their throw days for a brief appearance in the past. Right now he’s exposed on waivers and the Braves could lose him for nothing.
Hes dfad but has not been waived, thats something different.
If someone’s arms explodes, they call up Ritchie or Fuentes or Hayden Harris, who all are all better long term options than Perez. Why are people acting like Martin Perez is irreplaceable?
It’s been 3 starts. His ERA/FIP/xFIP are in the 3/4/4 ranges which is actually solid for the 5th spot so far. Admittedly it’s a small sample size but do we really also expect him to only run a K/9 in the 3’s either? If pitching to contact is working I don’t see why they shouldn’t try to hang onto him for a little while and maybe build some trade value.
He ruined the new republic
Padres on line 1
I just need somebody to sign Lovelady
I would have kept him longer than others. He’s done pretty much exactly what we need him to do, which the bar was low. I think he would be a better long relief option than some others we have bad there.
He’s not available for another 4 days. Dodd is better than Perez, Suarez or Paysmps anyway. By the time Perez was available to pitch again and the Braves needed a 5th starter, they will have called up Fuentes or Ritchie and he gets cut in a week anyway
Must be a misprint. I’m sure they meant Suarez, unless Suarez has something on AA.
In the grand scheme of the season…they’re relatively the same. Except Perez just pitched and won’t be ready for a turn through the rotation and they don’t need a 5th until the 21st. If someone wants him enough to pick up his money, than it’s whatever. Suarez will be gone soon, as well, but he can go through this series and last night. They may have a good feel and expect him to take the assignment and you don’t lose anything. There’s a lot of big braining from a lot of us in the thread over the 25th/26th player on the roster
Give Jesse a call.
My guess is that the Braves DFAed Perez instead of Suarez, because Suarez would be available in the bullpen tonight or tomorrow, while Perez wouldn’t be available until Friday. Since the Braves don’t need a fifth starter until April 21, they have plenty of time to either bring Perez back (if another team doesn’t claim him) or bring up Ritchie or Fuentes, both of whom are pitching well at Gwinnett.
I can’t see all the other clubs passing on Perez. Heck, Colorado shouldn’t let him pass them. (Not that I want that for him…Sugano seems to be limiting the long ball in the thin air though… so there’s that. We should all put our balls in a humidor.)
A bit inconvenient to walk around with though
Would any of you sign off on flipping a 2025 16/17th Rounder (that isn’t already broken) to get Perez?
Gotta say, I didn’t see the Braves as a likely candidate to be releasing MLB-avg pitching.
Well great news…that still hasn’t happened. He didn’t get released
Thank you for your service.
Must be the age. Looks like rebuilding for the future is taking precedent over getting current results.
That’s an insane statement. Dodd is better than him in a long relief role. They don’t need a 5th starter until the 21st, and by then you could have Didier or JR up in the spot. I’ll take top prospect over journeyman for current results and a strong future. It’s the fact that he won’t be needed for awhile and if someone wants him for 3.5 mil than they’re ok with the money off the books and they get younger and better. He and Suarez were brought in to weather the beginning of the season and not to be contributing factors for the entirety of the season
Charlie Morton, line two.
I would love the White Sox to put in a waiver claim. They lack a veteran presence to anchor a young staff in need of a long reliever. Perfect mentor for rookie starters coming up like Schultz, McDougal & Hagen Smith.