Braves place starter Williams Perez on DL with foot contusion
Braves starter Williams Perez is headed to the disabled list with a left foot contusion after being hit by a baseball on Friday night.
Perez wore a walking boot out of Pittsburgh's PNC Park following his start, which was eventually cut short after Pirates outfielder Josh Harrison's fifth-inning comebacker to the mound hit his foot. Perez went down but, after an examination from trainer Jeff Porter, stayed in the game. He was ineffective, however, as the foot began to get more and more stiff, and he was pulled a few batters later.
X-rays were negative, but Perez will be unavailable for at least his next few starts.
The Braves have not announced which pitcher will take his spot in the rotation, though rookie Mike Foltynewicz could return from Triple-A Gwinnett. Young left-hander Manny Banuelos, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Yankees, is another possible candidate, though he has yet to pitch in the majors.
"When I first got hit, I thought it was a lot more serious," Perez told reporters after the game. "I thought I might have broken my foot, but thank God it wasn't that serious and hopefully, I'll be out there soon."
Perez, a 24-year-old rookie, has pitched well since joining Atlanta's rotation, posting a 2.31 ERA in eight starts.
After dropping their series opener against the Pirates, the Braves (35-39) are in the middle of a four-game losing streak.
