Perez (thigh) gave up one run on three hits over 3.2 innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday. He struck out five without walking a batter.
The right-hander fired 51 pitches (37 strikes) in his first rehab outing since landing on the IL on May 29 after straining his right gracilis muscle. The initial estimate for Perez's recovery suggested he might be on the shelf until late July, but Thursday's performance was encouraging enough that a return before the All-Star break looks plausible. Perez was sitting 96-98 mph with his fastballs Thursday and topped out at 99.4 mph on a four-seamer.