Rookie right-hander Williams Perez will take lefty Eric Stults’ turn in the starting pitching rotation beginning Wednesday against the Rays, manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
Perez, 23, has made two appearances out of the bullpen since the Braves called him up from Triple-A Gwinnett on May 6. He was a starter for 89 of 109 games in the minor leagues and the Braves said at the time of his promotion that Perez could eventually join the starting rotation.
“He’s a guy that throws strikes,” Gonzalez said Sunday. “He’s got a good mixture (of pitches). He’s a young guy that can help us in the rotation in the future so we give him an opportunity to start.”
Perez has allowed four earned runs in 2 1/3 innings for the Braves. The Nationals touched Perez for four runs, including Bryce Harper’s three-run homer, during the Braves’ 9-2 loss on May 8. Perez held the Reds to one hit and no runs over two innings on Wednesday while recording two strikeouts and two walks.
In five starts for Gwinnett this season Perez was 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA with 21 strikeouts and nine walks in 27 innings. Perez is 30-23 with a 3.32 ERA over nine seasons in the minors.
Stults is 1-4 with a 5.36 in seven starts for the Braves this season. He took the loss in his last three starts while posting a 7.00 ERA over 18 innings.
The Braves now have two left-handed relief pitchers after going most of the season with only Luis Avilan in the bullpen. Alex Wood is the only left-hander in the starting rotation.
Stults is the second Braves starter to end up in the bullpen this season. Trevor Cahill was replaced in the rotation by prospect Mike Foltynewicz after Cahill was 9-3 with an 8.03 ERA in three starts.
Stults was a non-roster invitee at Braves spring training and will make $2 million this season. The Braves acquired Cahill in a trade with the Diamondbacks in April and Arizona also sent $6.5 million to offset most of Cahill’s $12 million salary this season.
