Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez out with leg injury.

Original Story by Mike Fitzpatrick, AP Baseball Writer

Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez is slated to miss approximately two months, a significant blow stemming from a bizarre leg injury. The 23-year-old right-hander sustained the injury not on the mound, but while performing routine stretches in the dugout during a game, highlighting the unpredictable nature of athletic setbacks.

The incident occurred during Wednesday's start in Toronto. Pérez, after throwing four shutout innings, began lateral lunges on the bench to prepare for the fifth. It was during this seemingly innocuous exercise that his right hamstring spasmed, causing such severe pain he required assistance to leave the dugout. Subsequent imaging on Thursday confirmed a high-grade strain of his right gracilis, an inner thigh muscle.

This injury comes at a particularly frustrating time for Pérez, who was just hitting his stride. Despite a 3-6 record and a 4.60 ERA over 12 starts this season, his last two outings had been exceptional. He struck out a season-high nine Blue Jays before his exit, accumulating 14 strikeouts without a walk, and allowing just one run and five hits across his last 10 1/3 innings.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough expressed his disappointment on Friday, noting, "Unfortunate, with his last couple starts how well he was throwing the ball. We'll just have to pick up and keep going. It's a team thing, so guys just have to step up and that's all you can do." The manager admitted there's no immediate plan for filling Pérez's rotation spot, underscoring the sudden void.

In response to the injury, Pérez has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, with right-hander Josh Ekness recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. This isn't Pérez's first encounter with a major injury; he missed the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and only returned to the rotation in June 2025. A former top prospect, Pérez, with his 98-99 mph fastball, made his major league debut at age 20 in 2023.

McCullough further lamented the timing, stating, "you sense a little bit that maybe this was a player that was starting to get on a little bit of a roll, put some things together, and now he’s obviously going to have to miss a significant amount of time.” His absence leaves a considerable gap in the Marlins' pitching staff just as he was demonstrating his significant potential.

Folks, you just can't make this stuff up. A freak injury in the dugout, sidelining a pitcher who was absolutely dealing. This is a tough pill to swallow for the Marlins, and especially for Pérez, who was truly finding his rhythm.

Source: Original Article

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