LHP Martin Perez Leaves Rangers Impressed

Lefty Martin Perez was sent back down to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday in order to make room for Colby Lewis, who was activated from the 15-day disabled list, but the 21-year-old left a lasting impression on the big club in the nearly three weeks he was with them.

"I thought he was impressive," Rangers’ manager Ron Washington told the team’s official website. "For such a young kid, he handled himself very professionally. He gave us much more than we expected. We didn't know what to expect, considering he wasn't really lighting it up at Triple-A. But he made some adjustments and pitched well. He's certainly one of those kids we're not afraid to call upon if we have a need.”

In his first foray into the big leagues, Perez went 1-1 with a 5.54 ERA over two starts and two relief appearances. Despite showing flashes of promise in this span, Washington believes Perez will be better served by going back down to Round Rock.

"He's just one of those kids that doesn't need to be sitting around,” Washington continued. “He needs to go down and keep pitching. But he was extremely impressive. He certainly has the stuff to compete. It's just not his time. We told him he needs to go down and dominate. He can dominate, now it's up to him. The fact that he got some time up here, we're looking forward to him pitching well down there. We'll be disappointed if he doesn't pitch well."