Pérez, Fuentes stepping up in crucial roles amid Braves' pitching injuries

ATLANTA -- Martín Pérez wasn’t on Atlanta’s Opening Day roster and he’s already been designated for assignment this year. As for Didier Fuentes, he’s spent a majority of this season at the Triple-A level.

But they have both helped the Braves overcome a slew of injuries on their way to tallying a MLB-best 21 wins thus far. Pérez delivered five scoreless innings and Fuentes aided a short-handed bullpen with a pair of scoreless innings in a 5-2 win over the Tigers on Tuesday night at Truist Park.

Pitching wasn’t the only highlight as the Braves notched their fifth shutout of the young season. Ronald Acuña Jr. tallied a pair of doubles, including one that scored Mike Yastrzemski in the two-run second inning. Yastrzemski doubled to begin that frame and he added a RBI single in the seventh to give him just his third multi-hit game this year.

Braves manager Walt Weiss was breathing easier by the time Ozzie Albies’ two-run homer in the eighth added to Atlanta’s MLB-best run total (169). But even as his team came off an offday, there was reason for him to be concerned about how to best utilize his short-handed bullpen at the start of this stretch of games on nine straight days.

The Braves recalled Fuentes (Braves' No. 3 prospect, MLB No. 91) from Gwinnett on Tuesday to account for top left-handed reliever Dylan Lee being placed on the paternity list. Fuentes responded by delivering two scoreless innings to bridge the gap to top right-handed setup man Tyler Kinley, who escaped trouble in a scoreless eighth.

Albies’ sixth homer of the season prevented the Braves from having to use closer Robert Suarez, but it was Fuentes’ two innings that put the bullpen in good position.

Along with Lee, the Braves are also without regular closer Raisel Iglesias, who is on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Iglesias is already throwing and could be activated during the first half of May.

But while he is sidelined, the Braves will do things like lean on Fuentes.

Fuentes started last Thursday’s game at Nationals Park and allowed four runs (all in the first inning) over three innings. Pérez helped the Braves win that game when he followed with three innings of relief.

This time, Pérez got the start and responded with five scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 2.22 through six appearances.