WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 20: A view of the Atlanta Braves logo on a baseball cap in the dugout before the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
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The Atlanta Braves enter the final stretch of the season with their starting rotation in a fairly tenuous position.
Injuries have left the team with very little margin for error, creating uncertainty about how manager Walt Weiss might cover the final innings of the regular season.
“With injuries reducing their rotation depth to the bare minimum, the Braves may have to give (JR) Ritchie another start on Tuesday against the (Cincinnati) Reds,” Mark Bowman suggested for MLB.com. “AJ Smith-Shawver would be another option despite being shifted to the bullpen earlier this week. But (Reynaldo) Lopez’s injury could force him to make another start before the season is complete.”
That uncertainty has made the reemergence of veteran left-hander Martín Perez particularly valuable.
The 15-year MLB veteran and former All-Star has gone from fighting for a roster spot earlier this season to becoming a potential postseason option for the Braves. And now he has also opened up about how that has come with a completely new outlook on his career’s future.
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Perez’s path back to Atlanta’s major league rotation was hardly straightforward. He signed with the Braves on a minor league deal in January after spending the previous season in the majors, but he did not initially make the Opening Day roster.
The Braves eventually selected his contract at the end of March. After being designated for assignment in April and subsequently electing free agency, Perez returned to the organization on another minor league contract and worked his way back onto the active roster.
That persistence has since paid off. Earlier this month, Pérez recorded the 100th win of his career, pitching six innings and allowing two runs against the Chicago Cubs. Reaching that milestone came after he had spent much of the season simply trying to establish that he could continue contributing at the highest level.
Perez revealed just how close he had been to stepping away from pitching altogether.
“(My wife) just told me, ‘If you come out from baseball, you gotta come from the front door,’” Perez said, according to The Athletic’s Jesus Cano. “When I heard that from my wife, I went like, ‘She’s right. I’m going to try it. If you feel good, I’m just going to keep doing it.’ And now I feel 100 percent, and I think I can pitch for five more years.”
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That declaration takes on additional significance with Atlanta’s pitching options becoming increasingly limited. Rather than simply extending his career, Perez has positioned himself as a potential piece for a Braves team trying to navigate its way through October.
“Whatever Atlanta asks of him in October — whether it’s another start, a shorter outing or simply being ready when his number is called — Perez has made clear he is willing to do it,” Cano added. “After spending much of the season fighting to prove he still belonged, he has developed a deeper appreciation for the organization that gave him another opportunity.”
For the Braves, that attitude could prove useful as they attempt to patch together a rotation capable of handling the demands of the postseason.
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