The Atlanta Braves selected left-handed pitcher Martín Pérez to the major league roster Friday and scheduled him to start against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Pérez, 35, is back in the spot he had carved out in Atlanta after a brief trip through waivers and free agency earlier this month.
The move gives the Braves a veteran arm on a night they need one. Pérez has a 0-1 record and a 3.14 ERA in three games for Atlanta this season, and he had already been used in both the first and second innings earlier in April, including outings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 5, 2026, and the Cleveland Guardians on April 11, 2026.
Jon Heyman reported on April 15 that Pérez cleared waivers, elected free agency and then re-signed with Atlanta on a minor league contract. The Braves entered the Phillies series after winning two of three games against the Miami Marlins, and the decision to turn to Pérez shows they want experience at the front of the rotation while the season is still in its early stretch.
That path back to the active roster is the part that matters. Pérez did not simply stay with the club; he passed through waivers, left the roster and returned on a lesser deal before being selected again on Friday. Atlanta’s move suggests it is willing to keep using him as a short-term solution if he gives them enough length to get through a demanding run of games.
For Pérez, Friday brings another chance to turn a transactional week into something more durable. For the Braves, it is a test of whether a pitcher they have already leaned on three times can hold up in a division series that can sharpen quickly.
