Major League Baseball managers Clayton McCullough and Don Kelly ignited controversy after pulling young starting pitchers Eury Pérez and Jared Jones during active perfect game bids within a four-day span in July 2026.
The decisions highlight a growing trend across the league that prioritizes long-term arm durability over individual historical milestones.
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Pérez of the Miami Marlins was removed on Sunday after seven perfect innings against the Oakland Athletics, while Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates was pulled on Wednesday after six perfect frames against the Atlanta Braves.
Both pitchers have histories of significant elbow surgeries and maintain high average fastball velocities.
Managerial Justifications
McCullough defended his choice to pull Pérez after 92 pitches, citing the pitcher's recent return from the injured list.
"Going into this game, 90 plus a batter was a pitch count that I felt comfortable with him coming back off the time on the IL and us looking to play beyond the season," McCullough said.
He acknowledged the emotional difficulty but emphasized organizational goals.
"Eury's gonna be an important part of that. Yeah, he had it really going today and I totally get it.
There was a part of my heartstrings pulling at his opportunity to keep going, but I have to think about Eury, one, and our organization, our team, and what's best moving forward and giving us a chance to win games," McCullough said.
Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly faced similar scrutiny after replacing Jones, who had thrown only 77 pitches and recorded eight strikeouts before being pulled in a scoreless game that the Pirates eventually lost 3-0.
