The Marlins have managed to put together the best rotation ERA and record in the Majors despite being down three starting pitchers this month. Imagine what they could be capable of with the return of right-hander Eury Pérez from the 15-day injured list. Pérez allowed one run over 4 2/3 innings and the lineup did just enough against Jacob deGrom in the Marlins’ 4-2 win over the Rangers on Wednesday afternoon at loanDepot park. With the victory, Miami (42-39) improved to an MLB-best 16-5 record in June and moved three games above .500 for the first time since the start of play on April 10 (8-5) at the season’s halfway point. The only better starts to a season in Marlins history were during the 1997 (48-33) and 2023 (47-34) seasons -- both which ended in postseason berths. “I was just working really, really hard out there on my recovery as much as I could, because I knew that the team needed me,” Pérez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “As we know, the load the bullpen had was massive. So I will say, all the hard work I was putting in there, and the commitment following through the whole process, because I know the team needed me out here.” Pérez permitted three hits, including Wyatt Langford’s solo homer to break a scoreless deadlock in the fourth inning of his 68-pitch outing. He faced the minimum through three with help from catcher Brian Navarreto, who picked off Ezequiel Duran to end the second and threw out Nicky Lopez trying to steal to close out the third in his season debut. “Being a defensive catcher, do the little things, hitting, help the team win,” said Navarreto, who executed a sacrifice bunt and walked. “And of course, just catching. Just be able to help Eury and all the bullpen, and anything I can. Just trying to be me.”
