Sportswire Miami Staff | May 29, 2026
Pérez Goes Down Hard, and Suddenly Lake Bachar Matters a Whole Lot More
The Miami Marlins took a significant hit this week, and it is not the kind of news any team wants to hear as the summer grind begins.
Right-hander Eury Pérez, arguably the most electric arm in Miami’s rotation, has officially landed on the 15-day injured list with a high-grade strain of his right gracilis muscle. The move is retroactive to May 28, and the current expectation is that Pérez will miss roughly eight weeks, pushing any realistic return into late July.
That is a tough break for a pitcher who had been looking dominant. Pérez exited his May 27 start against the Toronto Blue Jays after four innings and nine strikeouts. At the time, the club described the issue as hamstring tightness. Further imaging revealed something more specific—and more concerning.
The injury involves the gracilis, a long muscle that runs along the inner thigh. While it is separate from the hamstring, it occupies a similar area, which helps explain the initial diagnosis. The important detail is the severity. A high-grade strain is the most serious category before an outright tear, meaning the Marlins will likely take a cautious approach with one of the organization’s most valuable young players.
For Miami, the timing could not be worse. Pérez, still just 23 years old, has been viewed as a cornerstone of the franchise’s future. Now the rotation loses one of its most dynamic strikeout pitchers for at least two months.
That leaves Max Meyer carrying even more responsibility. Meyer has been outstanding, posting a 5-0 record with a 2.52 ERA, and he now becomes the clear anchor of the staff while the club waits for Pérez to recover.
But while the Pérez injury will dominate most headlines, there is another storyline quietly developing in Miami.
Enter Lake Bachar.
The veteran reliever is not exactly the first name that comes to mind when discussing trade-deadline intrigue, but that may be changing. As contenders begin evaluating bullpen help ahead of July, Bachar’s recent performance is drawing attention.
A quick correction that has floated around in some reports: Bachar was born on June 3, 1995, in Winfield, Illinois. That makes him 30 years old today. He turns 31 in a matter of days, but technically he has not reached that birthday yet.
Age aside, it is the numbers that matter.
Over his last 15 appearances, Bachar owns a strong 2.38 ERA, the kind of stretch that gets front offices paying attention. His most recent seven-game sample looks a little shakier with a 4.15 ERA, but the underlying metrics tell a different story. A 0.92 WHIP during that span suggests he is still limiting traffic effectively and may have experienced some unfavorable results rather than a genuine decline in performance.
Bachar’s path to the majors has not been a typical one. Drafted in the fifth round by the San Diego Padres in 2016 out of Wisconsin-Whitewater, he spent years grinding through professional baseball before finally making his MLB debut on September 8, 2024. Since then, he has quietly established himself as a reliable bullpen piece.
That profile—affordable, experienced, and productive—is exactly what playoff hopefuls often target at the deadline.
Reports connecting him to specific teams, including the Yankees, remain speculative at this stage. However, the broader idea is easy to understand. Clubs looking for bullpen depth routinely search for under-the-radar relievers who can provide quality innings without commanding premium trade packages.
For the Marlins, the immediate concern remains Pérez and his recovery timetable. Losing a potential ace for two months is never easy. But as Miami navigates the next several weeks, another storyline may continue gaining momentum.
The spotlight was supposed to stay on Eury Pérez.
Now, thanks to one unfortunate injury and an approaching trade deadline, Lake Bachar is becoming a name worth watching.
