Perez made a start for Double-A Pensacola last Wednesday, tossing 2.1 innings and striking out five while allowing two runs (one earned) in a 4-3 win over Mississippi. According to Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald, general manager Kim Ng said the Marlins are "creating a path for him to come back" to the big club, but no specific timeline was provided for when he'll be called up from Double-A. "We'll take it day by day and see where the staff is, see where he is, and just make sure that we monitor this really closely."
The Marlins sent Perez back to the minors shortly before the All-Star break, despite the fact that he had arguably been Miami's top starter through his first 11 big-league outings (2.36 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 61:17 K:BB in 53.1 innings). The demotion was designed to better manage the 20-year-old's innings count, which now sits at 86.2 for the season between the majors and minors. Considering Perez's youth and long-term importance to the organization as well as the fact that he never threw more than 78 innings in any of his previous pro seasons, the Marlins will likely be selective with his usage moving forward. Though the talented righty will be back in the big leagues at some point as the Marlins push for a wild-card spot, Ng left it open for interpretation whether Perez would be deployed as a starter or reliever once he's called up. Even if the Marlins are willing to clear room in the rotation for Perez, he could be on a shorter leash with regard to his pitch count compared to Miami's other starters.