Miami @ Pittsburgh Game Overview

Perez, who was 20 when he made his major league debut on May 12, 2023, is expected to make his first start since Sept. 20, 2023, when he opposes Pirates rookie right-hander Mike Burrows (1-1, 5.27 ERA).

"I've been away from the field. I'm just looking forward to competing and doing the best I can," Perez said through his interpreter before the Marlins' 3-2 road loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. "It has been a long time."

Perez made a huge splash in his debut season, compiling a 5-1 record and a 1.34 ERA through his first nine starts with 54 strikeouts and 15 walks. In the last start of that stretch on June 25 in Miami, Perez threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out nine in his lone career start against the Pirates.

Perez was shut down in September 2023 with left SI joint inflammation. He dealt with right elbow soreness in Spring Training the following year, which led to his Tommy John surgery.

After rehabbing for over a year, Perez began an eight-start rehab assignment on April 26. Perez rejoins a Marlins squad which has lost six of its past seven, with its only win coming this past Saturday coming in 10 innings, 11-10, against the Rays.

Pittsburgh lost three of four games in Miami to open this season, but since firing Derek Shelton and promoting bench coach Don Kelly to manager, the Pirates are 14-14.

Pittsburgh enters the opener on a season-high three-game winning streak after recording its first series sweep of 2025 against the Phillies.

Burrows, who has never faced the Marlins, picked up his first career win on Wednesday when he threw 5 1/3 strong innings, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out six in a 3-0 home win against the Houston Astros.

Rookie right-handed relievers Isaac Mattson and Braxton Ashcraft each delivered in tough spots against the Phillies to pick up their first major league wins.

In his fourth appearance since his major league debut on May 26, Ashcraft entered in relief of ace Paul Skenes in the top of the eighth on Sunday and picked up the final four outs. Ashcraft allowed one hit and two walks to close out a 2-1 win.

Mattson came through on Saturday when he entered a 1-1 game in the seventh with a runner at third, no outs and already behind in the count 2-0 to Nick Castellanos. Mattson was called on after starter Andrew Heaney departed with a left calf cramp.

Mattson, called up from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier that day, struck out Castellanos and then induced flyouts from J.T. Realmuto and Bryson Stott to end the inning. Henry Davis hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the bottom of the inning, leading to a 2-1 win for Pittsburgh.

"It's a really cool accomplishment knowing how many games we came to as a family," Mattson said. "Being able to be on the other side of it and help the team win, it's pretty cool."

--Field Level Media