Perez got things started by striking out Pittsburgh Pirates young star Oneil Cruz in the game's first at-bat. But he would go on to give up four runs on four hits with two walks while striking out five batters in his return.
Before the game on Monday, Perez was emotional while describing the journey back to the bump, saying, "It's been a long time."
Perez made his big-league debut with the Marlins during the 2022 season when he posted a 3.15 earned run average (ERA) and 108 strikeouts in 91.1 innings before eventually succumbing to Tommy John surgery - forcing him to miss the entire 2024 season and the first two months this year.
The Dominican Republic native signed with the Marlins in 2019 when he was an international free agent at the age of 18.
In almost no time at all, Perez was ready for the big leagues in 2023 when the organization skipped Triple-A and called him straight to the big league from their Double-A affiliate, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
During his four years in the minors, Perez went 10-10 with a 2.90 ERA and 299 strikeouts in 214.1 innings while walking 71 batters.