Despite lack of work, Ollie is finding his form

PHILADELPHIA - Oliver Perez, the Mets' most expensive relief pitcher, earns more in one inning of work than either Dillon Gee or Pat Misch will make for the entire year.

But the Mets apparently think so little of their $36-million investment that Perez will remain anchored in the bullpen this weekend as Gee and Misch take the mound against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

It's too late to change course with Perez, who has been out of the rotation since he returned from the disabled list July 21.

With some foresight, and perhaps less malice, the Mets could have planned to give Perez a few starts before the end of the season - especially after Johan Santana was lost to season-ending surgery earlier this month.

Instead, they stuck with Gee, who was called up from Triple-A Buffalo to replace Santana, and chose to use Misch to patch the remaining hole in the rotation.

Perez has made only five appearances in more than nine weeks, and he said Friday that the longest he could hope to go in a game would be 60 to 70 pitches, tops.

Apparently, that's not enough for manager Jerry Manuel, who believes that giving Perez a spot start would not be a benefit to anyone at this point. Even for a team that might want to start thinking of ways to find value in a pitcher who is due another $12 million next season in the final year of his contract.

But Manuel emphasized that Perez is not ready for such an assignment.

"That was the biggest factor," Manuel said Friday before the Mets' 3-2 loss to the Phillies. "He hasn't been stretched out in such a long period of time, it would be difficult to start him and expect any type of length. There's a possibility that he might be a part of , but to start probably wouldn't be fair to Ollie."

Fair? Despite Perez's knee problems and poor performances, the Mets' handling of him would hardly qualify as fair or smart, given his sizable contract.

When asked why Perez has been used so infrequently, pitching coach Dan Warthen declined to comment, other than to cite a lack of opportunities.

In his last few outings, however, Perez has reached 90 mph on the radar gun and shown glimpses of a hard-breaking slider, brief flashbacks to his former self. Perez said his right knee, the one frequently bothered by tendinitis, finally is feeling strong again, and Warthen suggested that could be the key for him to return to form in 2011.

"Is it feasible? Yes," Warthen said. "I think if there's a possibility for him to come back, it will happen, because he does put in the work. I think the knee probably had a great deal more to do with [his problems] than we ever realized."

Perez intends to pitch for his hometown of Culiacán in the Mexican Winter League but probably won't begin until Nov. 1, a timetable that should have him up to 100 pitches during December. Now that his knee will allow him to run more extensively, Perez believes his velocity will return as a result.

"I want to get back into the rotation," he said. "I know what I have to do to get back, and right now I feel really good."