The Astros optioned Perez to their minor-league camp Wednesday, Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Houston decided to protect Perez from the Rule 5 draft over the winter by adding him to the 40-man roster, but the 21-year-old was never viewed as a serious candidate to crack the Astros' Opening Day roster. Perez will likely open the upcoming campaign in the rotation at Double-A Corpus Christi, where he was roughed up during a 13-inning sample in the second half of last season.