PITTSBURGH—The Braves on Saturday placed pitcher Williams Perez on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised left foot. Perez was struck by a sharp ground ball during the fifth inning of the game Friday.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said the team didn’t think Perez would be ready for his next start on Thursday. Rather than alter the starting rotation or play with 24 healthy players, the Braves placed Perez on the disabled list and promoted right-hander Jake Brigham from Triple-A Gwinnett to pitch out of the bullpen.
Gonzalez said the Braves hadn’t decided who would take Perez’s turn in the rotation. The most likely candidate is left-hander Manny Banuelos, who was scheduled to pitch for Gwinnett on Saturday night. Banuelos posted a league-best 2.03 ERA over his first 14 starts.
Perez was hit by Pirates Josh Harrison’s ground ball and left the game after he was wild throwing to the next two batters. X-rays on Perez’s foot were negative, and he said through an interpreter that he’s not scheduled for any more tests.
“It’s worse than what I thought it was going to be,” he said. “I woke up with a lot of pain (Saturday).”
