Perez

Perez, who went 2-10 with a 7.43 ERA with Los Angeles last season, lost his first start this year, allowing eight runs -- five earned -- in 4 2/3 innings of an 11-3 loss at Montreal on Thursday night.

"He's very disappointed," general manager Kevin Malone said. "He felt like he had his confidence back and could help this club. He felt he could contribute in the bullpen. We felt he'd be better off pitching every fifth day."

With two days off coming up, Perez wouldn't have been needed again until April 21 at Cincinnati. He will start for Albuquerque on Tuesday and next Sunday before he is scheduled to be recalled to make that start.

"We don't believe sitting for nine days in the bullpen would help him," Malone said. "We think he's better staying on his schedule pitching every fifth day."

Perez, a 29-year-old left-hander, was one of the National League's top young pitchers with Montreal before joining the Dodgers. He went 33-35 with a 3.71 ERA his first four seasons before struggling in Los Angeles. He took out his frustration, slugging a water cooler with a bat in the dugout, before he was sent to the minors last summer.

"He has to get back to being the consistent pitcher he was," Malone said. "We still believe in him."

Perez signed a $15.5 million, three-year contract with the Dodgers after the 1998 season and couldn't be sent to the minors without his permission after May 1.