In a span of four days, two Major League Baseball (MLB) managers made the decision to pull their young pitchers during perfect game bids. The first instance occurred on Sunday when Eury Pérez, a pitcher for the Miami Marlins, was pulled after seven perfect innings and 92 pitches against the Oakland Athletics. Pérez’s performance was impressive, but manager Clayton McCullough decided to remove him from the game to prioritize his arm health.

Just four days later, on Wednesday night, Pirates right-hander Jared Jones was pulled after six perfect innings against the Atlanta Braves. Jones’ performance was also impressive, but manager Don Kelly decided to remove him from the game to avoid risking further injury to his young arm.

The decision to pull these young pitchers during perfect game bids may seem surprising, but it’s a common practice in MLB. The league prioritizes arm health over historic outings, especially when dealing with young pitchers who have a history of arm troubles.

For instance, Pérez and Jones both have a history of arm injuries. Pérez underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024, and Jones had a similar procedure in 2025. As a result, they are being treated with caution by their managers, who are prioritizing their arm health over the potential for a perfect game.

McCullough, the Marlins’ second-year manager, explained his decision to remove Pérez from the game. ‘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,’ he said. ‘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.’

Jones, who was on strict pitch counts all season, was also removed from the game to avoid risking further injury to his arm. The 2026 season marked his return to the mound after missing all of 2025 due to elbow surgery.

The cautious approach to arm health is a common practice in MLB, and it’s not going away anytime soon. As teams prioritize their young pitchers’ health, fans may be left frustrated by the decision to pull them during perfect game bids. However, the long-term benefits of prioritizing arm health are worth the potential short-term disappointment.