Braves place Martín Pérez on injured list before wild card series

The Atlanta Braves placed Martín Pérez on the 15-day injured list with lower-back inflammation, sidelining him for the Wild Card series and likely the first two postseason rounds. Pérez felt the injury during a start Sunday and has not improved enough to return; he could become eligible Oct. 6, the scheduled date of Game 3 of the NL Division Series, if Atlanta advances. The Braves expect to rely on Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle and Grant Holmes in the Wild Card series, while injuries to Pérez, Reynaldo López and Bryce Elder make rookie JR Ritchie a key rotation option. Pérez finishes the regular season with a 3.04 ERA over 142 innings.