The New York Mets have sent left-handed reliever Cionel Pérez on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies as he works his way back from a left forearm strain, via the MLB transaction log.
Pérez has been on the 15-day injured list since July 31, with the move retroactive to July 30. The 30-year-old last pitched in the majors on July 29, throwing a scoreless inning against the Atlanta Braves in the second game of a doubleheader. He was placed on the IL the next day after that appearance.
The assignment to Binghamton is a typical first step for a pitcher returning from a forearm issue. The Rumble Ponies, the Mets’ Eastern League affiliate, regularly host rehabbing big-leaguers at Mirabito Stadium.
A successful outing or two there could lead to a transfer to Triple-A Syracuse before a return to Queens.
Pérez has been a major-league pitcher since 2018, when he debuted with the Houston Astros. He later pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, and Washington Nationals before signing a minor-league deal with the Mets in May and having his contract selected on May 30.
His best stretch came with Baltimore from 2022 to 2024, when he posted a 3.12 ERA over 164 2/3 innings as a ground-ball specialist out of the bullpen.
This season has been uneven. After a rough start with Washington (6.19 ERA in 16 innings), he found more success after joining New York. Overall in 2026 he is 4-3 with a 4.97 ERA in 41 2/3 innings across 36 games (two as an opener), with 41 strikeouts.
He finished strong before the injury, posting several scoreless appearances in late July. Career totals stand at 19-9 with a 4.33 ERA in 278 2/3 innings over 293 games.
The Mets, sitting well out of the playoff picture at 66-78, have little to lose by being cautious with a veteran arm. Pérez’s ability to induce ground balls remains useful in low- and medium-leverage spots, even if his strikeout and walk rates have never been elite.
A clean rehab appearance in Binghamton would give the club a left-handed option for the final weeks of the season and a look at whether he can contribute again in 2027.
No official date has been announced for his first outing with the Rumble Ponies, but the assignment itself signals that Pérez has progressed through throwing programs and is cleared for live competition.
For a pitcher who has spent eight seasons in the majors, the trip to Double-A is less about development than about proving the forearm can handle game intensity again.
