Miami Marlins rookie right-hander Eury Pérez, who owns a 2.36 ERA in 11 starts, is being optioned back to the minor leagues, GM Kim Ng announced Friday. The move is presumably related to keeping Pérez's workload in check. He has thrown 84 1/3 innings in 2023, already a new career high, and it will be easier to limit his innings in the minors.
Pérez will continue to pitch in Double-A, per the Miami Herald, rather than go into a complete shutdown.
"I don't know if they're going to stop me now or when it's going to happen," Pérez told MLB.com about his workload following his last start. "But my mentality is to continue working hard and be ready to help this team in any way I can."
Pérez, who turned only 20 in April, threw 78 innings in 2021 and 77 innings in 2022, his only two other professional seasons. He missed time with a shoulder issue in 2022. The Marlins have not revealed an innings target for Pérez and it's likely they don't have a set number in mind. They can play it by ear and see how he handles the workload.
The Marlins enter play Friday with the fifth best record in baseball at 51-38. They sit in the top National League wild-card spot and have a three-game lead on a postseason berth. Pérez has been terrific this year. Even with Johnny Cueto set to return from his biceps injury soon, sending Pérez down makes Miami weaker.
This is somewhat reminiscent of the Stephen Strasburg shutdown in 2012. Strasburg was dominant and an All-Star that year, but it was also his first full year following Tommy John surgery. The Nationals shut down down their ace in September despite leading the NL East. They won the division, then lost in the NLDS.
Although the demotion is not technically against the rules, Pérez and the MLBPA could file a grievance because it is clearly not performance-related and will cost Pérez service time and salary. He spent enough time in the minors earlier this year to delay his free agency, though this demotion may delay arbitration.
The alternative to an demotion to the minors would be to put Pérez on the injured list with, say, fatigue. That would open up a roster spot for the Marlins and also give Pérez service time and big league pay. It's unclear whether a grievance will be filed.
Pérez entered 2023 as the No. 8 prospect in baseball and he has been as advertised. The Marlins begin an important three-game home series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
