SAN DIEGO – Williams Perez and the Braves seem confident that his shoulder injury isn’t serious, but he’ll be out for at least a couple of weeks after being placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a right rotator-cuff strain.
Perez left Monday’s game against the Padres in the fifth inning with what was initially diagnosed as triceps soreness.
“It just hasn’t calmed down,” Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. “I think it’s more now that the rotator cuff is sore. He’s going to need time now just to let things relax.
“Given he wouldn’t make the next start and probably after that, so it’s just more getting him calmed down and strengthened back up. Because I think his shoulder was really weak.”
Perez said he agreed with the decision to DL him. He’s 2-2 with a 4.62 ERA in nine starts, and before giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings Monday he had posted a 3.38 ERA and .214 opponents’ average in five starts since returning from demotion to Triple-A.
“Yeah, I think it’s the right decision,” he said through a translator. “Hopefully I can just take these two weeks and just get back in shape. My biceps and triceps were sore when I came out of the game. They’re not really bothering me anymore, it’s just more shoulder discomfort.”
Snitker said there was always the possibility that an MRI or other tests could reveal an injury more severe than anticipated, but didn’t know if such tests were scheduled. Perez was examined by a San Diego doctor the past two days, and will be evaluated by Braves doctors Thursday after returning to Atlanta with the team.
“They haven’t said anything like that,” Perez said of possible MRI or CD scans being done in Atlanta. “I think I’m just going to check in with the doctor tomorrow, he’s going to check me out, see what he says, and we’re just going to take it a day at a time.”
The Braves have an off day Thursday, which will allow the Braves to delay filling Perez’s rotation spot with another starter until Tuesday. Perez would otherwise have been scheduled to start Sunday’s home-series finale against the Cubs.
“Right now we’re going to skip his spot,” Snitker said. “With the day off, it kind of comes at a good time. I think Bud (Norris) and (Matt) Wisler will get an extra day and we’ll probably pitch (Aaron) Blair on Sunday and then follow him up with Julio.”
Blair, who pitched Tuesday, and Teheran, who pitched Wednesday’s series finale, would both be on regular rest if they start games this coming Sunday (series finale vs. Cubs) and Monday (vs. Reds). The Braves would then need to add a starter for Tuesday.
