Tigers relief pitcher Ryan Perry has had a rough go of it lately. After not allowing a single run in six straight appearances, it all came crashing down for Perry on May 26. He seemingly melted down against the Mariners and allowed four runs in the process of blowing a save. Since then he hasn't had even one good outing, and after giving up a few more runs on Friday, talk started to heat up about his immediate future.
"I’m going to stay with him for awhile," Leyland said. "If things at some point don’t get worked out, you go down and work ‘em out. We’re going to see if we can work it out here."
Personally I would prefer the proactive approach in this situation, much like we saw with Max Scherzer. It was obvious something was off with Scherzer, and he went down to the minors and quickly got it worked out. It seems like Perry is having similar issues, with Leyland mentioning that "his slider is flat."
On the other hand, some players could just lose all of their confidence by being sent down to Toledo. It would seem Perry has hit rock bottom based on his performances lately, but that may just be his mechanics, not something mental like we saw with Dontrelle Willis.
Whatever happens with Perry, his next appearance will likely be a big determinant in if he stays with the Tigers or heads down to Toledo. Another bad outing seems like it would almost force Leyland to make a move. If Perry can start to get things worked out, however, then Leyland's decision to keep him around could be worthwhile.