Pérez (shoulder soreness) set for MRI after exiting finale against O's

CHICAGO -- Martín Pérez fought his way back from a left elbow issue costing him four months of the season before returning on Aug. 13 at home against the Tigers.

But the injury bug appears to have caught up to the veteran left-hander once again in the White Sox 3-1 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday afternoon at Rate Field, as Pérez left in the top of the fourth inning with left shoulder soreness after throwing a pitch to Jackson Holliday where Jorge Mateo stole third.

Pérez held his hands up almost immediately to call time, signaled for manager Will Venable and head athletic trainer James Kruk to come from the dugout and left the game with them.

“I just feel sore, and I don’t want [in] that moment, I’m not going to force anything,” Pérez said after the White Sox suffered their sixth straight defeat. “I don’t want to get hurt again and have surgery or something. I was trying to be smart, because if I keep pushing, I’m going to hurt my elbow, too. It was a great time for me to tell them to take me out.”

“He was feeling pretty good in the bullpen before the game. He was throwing the ball pretty well before he started feeling something,” catcher Edgar Quero said. “It's tough for him, for everybody in the clubhouse. He's a leader, having been around for a while. It's part of the game. I hope he gets well soon.”

Pérez had a 3.34 ERA with 24 strikeouts over 32 1/3 innings in his return from the injured list entering Wednesday, where he finished the season at 1-6 and with a respectable 3.54 ERA. He previously has talked about returning to the White Sox, which was a sentiment general manager Chris Getz agreed with during his 32-minute pregame talk.

“Obviously, the setback of the injury was unfortunate for him and for us, but when he’s taken the ball he’s done a really nice job,” Getz said before the injury. “Beyond what he does on the field, in the clubhouse, the pro that he is, he really embodies the leadership role.

“We’ll have those conversations. We like Martín, we really do, and would be happy to have him come back here. It’s my understanding that he’d be open to it as well. There’s more time and conversations that need to be had.”

Pérez earned $3.5 million this season and has a $10 million mutual option for 2026, with a $1.5 million buyout. He’ll get an MRI exam on his shoulder during Thursday’s off-day, and while his season appears to be done with nine games to play and probably just one start remaining, Pérez clearly plans on pitching beyond this current campaign.

“During this last month and a half, I was doing my thing and I was doing my best to win the game with the team. This is a situation you just can’t control,” Pérez said. “There was nothing I’m going to feel too bad because I know my body and it’s nothing too bad and I was working hard all year.

“Just maybe rest a little bit. I’ll be ready for next year. I think I can go three or four more years. I know it’s not good to finish on the IL, but everybody knows what I can do when I’m on the mound. Hopefully, it’s nothing bad and I can have a good offseason.”