Perez lives to pitch another day

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Oliver Perez was on shaky ground from the moment he arrived at the Mets' spring training complex Feb. 13. Finding the clubhouse door locked that morning was an ominous sign, and Perez's standing has not improved much, if at all.

The threat of being released constantly circles overhead like the vultures - yes, vultures - that make their daily rounds above Digital Domain Park. They were back again Thursday for Perez's start against the Cardinals, but for now, it appears that the enigmatic lefthander will live to pitch another day for the Mets.

Perez had better control Thursday than in Sunday's debacle against the Braves, throwing 15 of his 25 pitches for strikes. He allowed two hits, without a walk or strikeout, in two innings. But his fastball maxed out at 87 mph and hovered in the mid-80s, which the Mets believe is too slow for his other pitches to be effective. Still, they're not yet prepared to swallow the $12 million Perez is due this season, the last of his three-year, $36-million contract.

After the game, a 3-0 win over St. Louis, manager Terry Collins was asked point-blank if Perez had to pitch well in this start or else. Collins refused to say it was a do-or-die start, but he did add that it would have changed the conversation if Perez had bombed again.

"I think that we certainly were going to revisit things," Collins said. "If he would have had a tough day, I probably would have thought about the situation that we talked about when we came in here - and that is the situational lefty, because he does get lefthanded hitters out.

"But he did what we asked him to do today and we're going to run him out there again."

That most likely will be for one of the split-squad games Tuesday. Technically, Perez is vying for a spot in the rotation. That's what the Mets have told him, anyway. Even so, team officials failed to inform Perez that he had been bumped up to start yesterday's game until that same morning.

"I sprung it on him," Collins said.

The late notice might have helped, as Perez showed marginal improvement in two scoreless innings. On Sunday, Perez's fastball crawled along at roughly 84 mph; he reached 86 mph once, with his first pitch that afternoon.

The jury is out on whether Perez can get hitters out at that speed. No one on the Mets' coaching staff seems to know if he can get back up to the 90s again on a regular basis.

"That's a good question," pitching coach Dan Warthen said.

Perez threw from 88 to 92 mph during the offseason in the Mexican winter league and thinks it's just a matter of time before that velocity reappears. He needs that to happen soon, because he faces the very strong possibility of being released if it doesn't.

"I think that's why we're here, that's why it's spring training," Perez said. "The more important thing is I feel real good. I know my velocity's not there. That's why I'm trying to find a way to get outs. I know when my velocity gets back, I'm going to be the same."

Despite yesterday's start, Perez really can't be considered a candidate for the rotation. Those five spots already have been penciled in for Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese, Chris Young and Chris Capuano. Perez remains a long shot just to make the team, and he'll have to pitch much better to avoid being released before Opening Day.

General manager Sandy Alderson has maintained that eating money will not be a factor if Perez does not prove himself worthy of a roster spot.

"Right now, I'm looking for a spot," Perez said. "I didn't come to challenge anybody. I just try to do my job. If they want me in the bullpen, I'm happy to be there."