When is Eury Pérez Coming Back? Fantasy Baseball Injury Return Update

With a meteoric rise to start the 2023 season, Eury Pérez garnered a lot of attention going into this season. Entering his sophomore campaign, managers have been hoping Eury would be without an innings limit, one of the few downsides to owning him last year.

With his dominant fastball averaging 98mph and topping out over 100mph, Pérez put up a 28.9% K% in 2023, good for a top-20 finish across the MLB. Perhaps the most exciting part of owning Eury in fantasy leagues is his strikeout upside. Last year he had eleven starts with double-digit strikeouts. With a solid Marlins lineup behind him, Eury is set up for success in both points and categories leagues in 2024.

Things came screeching to a halt about one week ago when news came out that Pérez is nursing elbow inflammation in his throwing arm. Fantasy managers need to stay informed so they can estimate when to expect Eury back in their lineups.

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Eury Pérez Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball

Throwing elbow injuries are on a short list of anxiety-provoking injuries for pitchers, particularly a fireballer like Pérez. Luckily, early reports following the injury announcement confirmed no structural damage in Pérez's elbow. There is precedent for a pitcher to come back successfully with just a period of rest, and structural integrity is an important starting point for that possibility.

Perhaps even more inspiring is the more recent update that Pérez has already played catch without any pain or discomfort in the elbow.

Eury Perez Plays Catch Pain-Free https://t.co/OQT7mTpf4K

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) March 24, 2024

With Pérez able to get back to throwing so quickly, optimism remains for a relatively quick return. It seems likely he will miss at least a few turns through the rotation, and this will also allow time for his problematic fingernail to grow back a little more robustly. An early to mid-May return seems most likely for Pérez assuming no setbacks.

Eury Pérez Fantasy Baseball Outlook

When Pérez is on the mound, he is one of the most exciting young pitchers around. He has dominant pitches to back up his strikeout success, and he should have the opportunity for plenty of wins with a Marlins team competing for an NL East pennant. If Pérez can return by May, he can still be capable of putting up top-20 overall pitching numbers for the season. There is no reason to expect an innings limit so long as he stays healthy.

Eury Pérez, Dirty 85mph Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/9jhsnkPl89

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 20, 2023

If for some reason Eury went undrafted, pick him up immediately for an IL stash. Pérez, Walker Buehler, and Kyle Bradish seem like the most likely starting pitchers to make first-half returns and thereby make significant full-season impacts. They all deserve a residence in any open IL spot with Pérez having perhaps the highest strikeout upside of any IL-eligible pitcher.

Pitching arm injuries, especially elbows, merit close attention to truly ensure things are trending in the right direction. As of now, with Pérez already back to throwing without pain, things are looking promising for a quick return to the Marlins pitching staff. If that is the case, Pérez will enhance any fantasy manager's squad once he is able to return.

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