Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez could miss the start of the season with a shoulder strain he suffered pitching in a spring training game, according to reports.
Perez is expected to shut down completely for seven to ten days before getting back onto a throwing program. In three to four weeks, he will resume pitching in spring training games, which may not leave enough time for him to be ready to start the regular season. Perez tweeted "Small hurdle at an in-opportune time. I feel better now than I did last year with the oblique..Still plenty of time." When asked whether he thinks Perez will be active on Opening Day, Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said, "We think so, but we'll have to see. The most important thing is to make sure he puts the injury behind him, and once he comes back, he's ready to go.''
Perez has been to two straight All-Star games and was second in the American League last season with 39 saves. Last season was Perez' best in the major leagues, with the career-high 39 saves and a career-low 2.50 walks per nine innings. Perez also racked up 59 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. He is the Indians' fourth all-time saves leader with 99.
Perez was slated to play a big role in the bullpen as a setup man for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Vinnie Pestano is expected to take Perez' place on the national team and will likely fill in as Cleveland's closer should Perez start the season on the disabled list. Pestano posted a 2.77 ERA last year with 77 strikeouts in 70 innings. He entered the 2012 season as a major threat to Perez' closer role, but despite his fantastic year Perez rarely faltered. Pestano recorded two saves and 36 holds as the primary setup man.
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