Braves send prospect Didier Fuentes to Triple-A and call up Martín Pérez

ATLANTA. — The Atlanta Braves sent Colombian prospect Didier Fuentes to Triple-A, while Venezuelan left-hander Martín Pérez was called up to the big league roster before the series against the Athletics.

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The second stage of Fuentes in the Major Leagues this season was brief, limited to a single appearance. The 20-year-old right-hander threw 56 pitches in four innings of relief in Sunday’s loss to Kansas City, so he would not be available to pitch for several days. The organization decided to send him to Triple-A Gwinnett to continue his development as a starter and thus make room on the roster for Pérez. Fuentes, considered the number 3 prospect in the Atlanta organization, had an outstanding preseason in which he retired 26 of the first 27 batters he faced, including 17 strikeouts. In addition, in the Grapefruit League he limited the Pirates’ starting lineup to one run in 4.2 innings, and last Sunday he allowed one run in four innings against the Royals. The Colombian’s fastball averaged 95.8 miles per hour in his season debut, accompanied by a slider close to 85.8 mph. However, the team understands that he still needs to continue developing his secondary pitches, especially the changeup or splitter that he recently added to his repertoire. Braves manager Walt Weiss noted that the young pitcher’s growth has been especially noticeable in his complementary repertoire, beyond his fastball, which has always been his main strength. For his part, Martín Pérez, who signed a Minor League contract after overcoming shoulder and elbow discomfort suffered last season, is seen as a candidate to join Atlanta’s rotation during the season, along with Venezuelan left-hander José Suárez.