The Orioles exercised Perez's $2.2 million club option for 2025 on Monday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Perez, 28, held a 4.53 ERA and 46:28 K:BB over 53.2 innings for the Orioles this season. He posted a 53.5 percent ground ball rate and didn't surrender a single home run over his 62 appearances.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Awarded win Sunday
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Perez (2-0) hit one batter but did not allow a hit or a walk over a scoreless inning to earn the win Sunday over the Padres.
The Orioles never trailed Sunday, but starter Albert Suarez came up one out short of qualifying for the win. Jacob Webb also struggled in his relief appearance, leading to Perez being awarded the win. Perez has bounced back from a rough patch right out of the All-Star break, earning a save and a win over two scoreless innings across his last two appearances. For the year, he has a 4.26 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 29:15 K:BB with two saves and 13 holds across 31.2 innings.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Nabs extra-inning save
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Perez earned a save against the Marlins on Thursday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning of work.
Primary closer Craig Kimbrel blew a save chance in the ninth inning, and the game went into an extra frame. Baltimore scored a run in the top of the 10th, and Perez was able to keep the automatic runner from crossing the plate in the bottom of the inning to notch his second save of the campaign. The southpaw isn't likely to see many more save opportunities this season, though he's gotten a good amount of high-leverage work and is tied for second on the team with 13 holds.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Snags win Friday
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Perez (1-0) pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout to earn the win Friday over the Rays.
Perez kept the deficit from growing beyond 1-0, and the Orioles rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning to give him the win. He hasn't earned a hold in any of his last eight appearances, but he has a save and a win in that span. The southpaw isn't a usual part of the high-leverage mix, but he's filled in there on occasion in 2024. He's at a 4.61 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB through 13.2 innings as a middle reliever this season.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Notches first save of season
Rotowire
Perez struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his first save of the season in a 5-3 win over the White Sox.
Craig Kimbrel, Danny Coulombe and Yennier Cano had all pitched both Thursday and Friday, leaving manager Brandon Hyde without any of his usual late-inning options when Baltimore took the lead in the eighth. Perez stepped up with a strong performance, needing only 10 pitches (six strikes) to retire the bottom of Chicago's order. The 28-year-old southpaw has an unsightly 5.06 ERA on the season, but he has yet to serve up a homer in 10.2 innings and has blanked the opposition in eight of his 11 appearances while picking up four holds.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Activated from injured list
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The Orioles activated Perez (oblique) from the 15-day injured list Monday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.
Perez has been out most of this season with a right oblique strain but is ready to go after making two rehab appearances. Right-hander Dillon Tate was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Starting rehab assignment
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Perez (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, Brent Maguire of MLB.com reports.
Perez has been out since the opening weekend of the season with a right oblique strain but has trended in a good direction recently and is ready to test himself in a game setting. He'll need at least a couple rehab appearances before returning from the 15-day injured list.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Throwing off mound
Rotowire
Perez (oblique) has been throwing bullpen sessions and will be ready for a live batting practice session soon, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.
Perez would presumably be asked to make a rehab appearance or two before returning, but that should be around the corner. The left-handed reliever has been out since the opening weekend of the season with a right oblique strain.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Hoping to throw again soon
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Perez (oblique) said Wednesday that he's feeling much better and is optimistic that he can begin throwing soon, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Perez landed on the injured list over the weekend with a right oblique strain, but he might require a minimum-length stay on the shelf. The left-handed reliever was a key bullpen piece for the Orioles over the last two seasons, collecting a 2.43 ERA and 99:48 K:BB over 111 innings.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Placed on 15-day IL
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Perez landed on the 15-day IL on Sunday with a right oblique strain, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.
Perez was removed from Saturday's appearance against the Angels due to lower-back discomfort. After further evaluation, it was revealed he has an oblique strain. In a corresponding move, Baltimore recalled Jonathan Heasley from Triple-A.
Perez's removal from Saturday's appearance against the Angels was due to lower-back discomfort, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
It sounds like a day-to-day situation, but Perez will be reevaluated Sunday before more is known. The left-handed reliever was charged with two runs and didn't record an out before exiting Saturday.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Exits with injury
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Perez was removed from Saturday's game against the Angels due to an apparent injury, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Perez looked to be grabbing at his right side near his hip/lower back before leaving the game with a trainer in the ninth inning. The Orioles will take a closer look at him and should offer more information in the near future.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Ugly numbers early in spring
Rotowire
Perez has allowed five runs over three innings across his first three Grapefruit League appearances.
Perez saw a reduced role in 2023, posting a 3.54 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 44:27 K:BB over 53.1 innings while adding 11 holds and three saves. He had 24 holds as a setup man in 2022. Perez can't afford a poor spring -- competition is fierce in the Orioles' bullpen with up to a dozen pitchers in contention for seven or eight major-league roster spots. Perez's track record alone isn't enough for him to rely on being a lock if he continues to struggle.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Avoids arbitration with Orioles
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Perez signed a one-year contract with the Orioles on Monday to avoid arbitration.
The deal also contains a club option for 2025. The financial particulars aren't clear, but Perez had been seeking $1.4 million for 2024, with the team offering $1.1 million. Perez has collected a 2.43 ERA and 99:48 K:BB over 111 innings in his two seasons in Baltimore.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Notches third save
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Perez earned a save against the Guardians on Saturday with a perfect inning of work.
After John Means allowed one run over 7.1 frames, Yennier Cano got the call in the eighth inning with Baltimore holding a one-run lead. Cano retired both batters he faced before turning it over to Perez, who pitched a perfect ninth for the save. This was an excellent bounce-back performance for Perez after he gave up three runs without retiring a batter in his previous outing Thursday against Cleveland. Prior to that meltdown, the left-hander hadn't allowed an earned run over his previous 17.2 innings covering 23 appearances.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Disaster in eighth inning
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Perez (4-2) allowed three runs on a hit, a walk and a hit batsman while failing to record an out Thursday, taking the loss versus the Guardians.
The Orioles rallied to tie the game in the top of the eighth inning, but Perez loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame before Jacob Webb allowed all three inherited runners to score. Prior to Thursday, Perez hadn't allowed an earned run since July 26, a span of 17.2 innings. He's now at a 3.68 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 43:24 K:BB with two saves and 10 holds over 51.1 innings.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Grabs one-out save
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Perez struck out the only batter he faced to earn the save in Tuesday's 9-5 win over the Astros.
Yennier Cano put two runners on, but Perez was able to escape the jam for his second save of the season. Over his last 23 appearances spanning 17.2 innings, Perez has allowed two unearned runs, 12 hits and two walks while striking out 17, though he has just one save, two holds and a win in that span. The southpaw had a rough start to the season, but he's now at a respectable 3.16 ERA despite a 1.48 WHIP and 43:23 K:BB through 51.1 innings overall. Perez has added 10 holds and a 4-1 record, and he's had more high-leverage chances since Felix Bautista (elbow) has been out.
Perez (4-1) walked one but didn't allow a hit or a run over 1.1 innings to earn the win Sunday over the Mets.
Perez has steadied himself since the All-Star break, allowing three runs over 7.1 innings while picking up a save and two wins. The southpaw still has mediocre ratios for the year with a 4.30 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 29:22 K:BB while picking up eight holds over 37.2 innings. Perez will likely continue to serve as more of a middle reliever for an Orioles bullpen that sports a 3.55 ERA collectively, fourth-best in the majors.
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Orioles' Cionel Perez: Grabs first save
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Perez picked up the save Monday against the Phillies, working around a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth inning.
Perez got the call in the ninth with Felix Bautista having pitched in Baltimore's previous two games. After retiring the first two Phillies in the inning, Perez surrendered a base hit and a walk before coaxing a groundout from Johan Rojas to strand the tying and winning runs. While Perez isn't likely to see much closing work going forward, he's been solid lately, pitching to a 1.93 ERA over his last nine appearances (9.1 innings). Overall, the southpaw sports a 4.54 ERA with a 1.78 WHIP and 26:20 K:BB through 33.2 innings this season.
