Walt Weiss Confirms Non-Roster Pitcher in Hunt for Braves Rotation Spot

Be on the lookout for a veteran starter as the open competition for the fifth spot in the Atlanta Braves' starting rotation takes shape. Manager Walt Weiss said on Tuesday that non-roster veteran arm Martin Perez would get a chance to earn the spot as injury woes hit the team early in spring training.

"Martin's one of those guys, man," Weiss said after workouts on Tuesday. "And he just keeps doing it. Put together a really nice career and had a good year last year. So, he's going to get a look, and that's why he's here."

Perez signed a minor-league deal with the Braves last month and received an invite to big league camp. From the jump, he was seen as a depth option. However, with some rotation options already either out long-term or potentially out long-term, his presence in camp just became that much more important.

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"He brings a lot of value, especially in this day and age, when everybody's dealing with this," Weiss said. "Everybody's dealing with losing a pitcher here and there, and you got a guy who just keeps posting and who keeps getting people out. It's nice that he's in our camp. I feel good about that."

Perez is coming off a season spent with the Chicago White Sox. The 14-year veteran pitched to a 3.54 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in 11 outings, 10 of which were starts. He missed much of the season due to injuries. One was left elbow inflammation. The other was a left shoulder strain.

Age and health played a role in the Braves getting him on a minor-league deal. With all the injuries, perhap some teams didn't want to take a chance on him with other pitchers dealing with injuries themselves.

"It's just the nature of the game right now," Weiss said. "It's a tough league. I played 14 years. I'd probably have a tough time doing that in this day and age. It's just once you get along in your career, it gets tougher and tougher."

With the position the Braves are in, if he looks sharp, it could be worth taking the gamble. When healthy, he's shown he can be effective.

Spencer Schwellenbach is already on the 60-day injured list with elbow inflammation. It's unrelated to his previous injury, but trouble with his elbow has kept him out since late June 2025. It'll be even longer until we see him again.

Meanwhile, Hurston Waldrep has loose bodies in his elbow. The verdict is still out on whether or not he'll need surgery. It is expected sometime this week. Weiss is hoping to hear back on his status on Wednesday, but it's not guaranteed. Even if surgery is avoided, he'll likely miss some time.

Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López and Grant Holmes are the four currently locked into rotation spots.

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