Braves Lose Martín Pérez Just Before Postseason with Injury

ATLANTA -- Just before October, the Atlanta Braves' rotation takes another blow. The team told the media on Thursday afternoon that left-hander Martín Pérez has experienced lower back inflammation.

He will head to the injured list, and he'll be missing in action for at least 15 days. The injury came about during his last start, when he pitched for the Braves on Sunday against the Astros.

The Braves are now tasked with figuring out the postseason rotation less than a week out. Before this update, he sure member of the postseason rotation and likely the Game 3 starter if the team needed him next week.

In 30 games, 26 starts, Pérez pitched to a 3.04 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP with 102 strikeouts across 142 innings pitched."

"Yeah, I mean, you can imagine how frustrated he is," manager Walt Weiss said. "In his mind, he's wanting to try to hurry up and get better and get back and wants to be a part of this, obviously. Just running out of time. Not going to be impossible."

He was reliable as a starter and as a reliver, especially during a year where the rotation took hit after hit. He's the latest to take that hit, but now, the only time we may see him if he's ready soon enough and the Braves made it far enough into the postseason.

"It's tough for Martín," Weiss said. "He has obviously reestablished himself after last year, missing most of the year. So, yeah, we wouldn't be where we are without him."

Based on this timeline, the earliest he could be activated is Oct. 8, this would make him available for Game 5 of the National League Division Series. If his stint is backdated, which is likely, he could back as soon as Oct. 6, which is Game 3.

So, more realistically, he would be back at the start of the National League Championship Series.

Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle are locks for the postseason rotation and are expected to start the first two games of the Wild Card Series. A likely third arm to turn to now is Grant Holmes. He's been in the rotation for vitually entire season and has been clutch for the team since the start of August.

In nine starts over the last two months, Holmes has a 2.56 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. He looks to be as ready as anybody come playoff time.

It's unknown when Bryce Elder will be availble. Weiss didn't have much of answer.

What helps for the first series is that it's only three games. After that, it'll get more difficult.

"If you start to look beyond that," Weiss said. "Hopefully [Pérez] will be back in the picture if we advance."

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