Note: What to do with Oliver Perez
Oliver Perez is still listed as the probable starter for Saturday’s game against the Phillies.
In a post to Newsday, David Lennon asked a team official is Perez will be skipped, and was told, ‘Not right now.’
Yesterday, Perez faced 26 batters, three of which he walked, he allowed nine hits and two home runs.
He’s had one good start this season, against the Padres; otherwise, he has looked bad every time he steps on the the mound, including the World Baseball Classic.
In 19 innings this season, Perez 
has allowed 40 base runners, while opponents are batting .295 against him.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the Ollie of old yet,” Jerry Manuel told reporters after the game, “I’m really, really concerned about him right now.”
Who isn’t? To me, the real concern is his fastball, which topped out at 88 mph yesterday.
I believe it’s fair to say the WBC had a negative impact on Perez, whether because he, the Mexican team, or the Mets, did not keep him on his regular between-games schedule, or because he only pitched in game action twice in two weeks, either way something isn’t right, though I suppose he could just be going through a dead-arm period.
The thing is, this is not the normal, ‘coin-flip,’ ‘Good Ollie, Bad Ollie bit,’ this is like watching a totally different pitcher than who the Mets signed for three years.
There is no room for Perez in the bullpen, if for no other reason then there is nobody in the bullpen who can slot in to the rotation. Bobby Parnell has looked too good as a set-up man to dislodge him from that role.
Instead, the Mets could ask, and Perez would be wise to accept an assignment to Triple-A; not as punishment, but as an opportunity to focus and work on his issues without having an impact on the major-league club.
At the very minimum, the Mets could skip Perez’s next start, but will not, even though they are off on Thursday and can afford the necessary adjustment.
Perez allowed one run in 26 innings against the Phillies last season – and he tends to perform better when facing the best teams in the division – so, I bet the Mets are hoping he finds ‘Big-Game Ollie,’ and rights his wrongs.
Lastly, if he struggles again, the Mets could bench Perez one time through the rotation, give him to work with Dan Warthen, and activate Tim Redding, who pitched four scoreless innings in an extended spring training game over the weekend, while cutting a player from the bench to make room on the roster, like Manuel suggested doing last week.
