How does the Martin Perez injury affect the Braves playoff rotation?

In some news that came out of nowhere ahead of the Braves series finale against the Reds, Martin Perez is heading to the IL with back inflammation.

Walt Weiss added that Perez felt the pain during his last start in Houston, and the veteran hopes he can return at some point in October if the Braves make a deep playoff run.

This is exactly the type of news no team wants to hear less than a week before the postseason begins. Martin Perez has been a steady force in the Braves’ rotation all season. Everybody expected him to slip at some point, but he answered the bell at every call, recording a 3.04 ERA over 142 innings.

I had Perez as the Braves’ #3 starter going into the postseason, likely getting the ball in a winner-take-all Game 3 next week if the series made it to that point — the primary reason being his success at home. Perez owns a 1.80 ERA this season at Truist Park, and over his last six starts, that number is down to 0.28. He wasn’t expected to be the catalyst that was going to carry the Braves, but those numbers are hard to ignore. Losing him unexpectedly for at least the first two rounds is far from ideal.

With this news, Grant Holmes instantly becomes the Braves’ #3 starter in the postseason following Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle. Outside of those three, expect to see bullpen games until Perez returns. AJ Smith-Shawver is likely the only other starting pitcher who will make the playoff roster for the Wild Card Series. JR Ritchie is another option the Braves might consider, but those would indeed be desperate times.

Hopefully, Perez’s injury isn’t a blow that deters the Braves too much. This is a team that’s overcome so much, starting at the very beginning of the season, when Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Hurston Waldrep all went down with significant injuries during Spring Training. The Braves should have just enough starting pitching to withstand another loss, but they better hope this is the last time the injury bug takes a bite out of the club. Depth across the board is razor-thin.

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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)