Braves Cannot Locate Pitcher Pascual Perez

General manager John Mullen of the Atlanta Braves said Monday he’s been unable to locate pitcher Pascual Perez, who left the team’s clubhouse in New York following a game Sunday and failed to make the team flight to Montreal.

“Not a word,” Mullen said Monday. “I just can’t find him. I have tried his local telephone number, and there’s no answer there. We checked with his player agent, and he was going to try to run Pascual down, too.”

Perez did not appear at Olympic Stadium Monday night, when the Braves played the Montreal Expos.

Mullen said the right-hander faces an automatic fine for missing the team bus and plane from New York, where Perez was the starting pitcher in a 15-10 loss to the Mets. Perez (1-8) lasted only 4 innings, giving up seven runs and seven hits.

Atlanta newspapers reported Monday that Perez refused comment after the game and muttered something about “going home” as he left the locker room.

“We’d like to be able to talk to him and find out just what his plans are,” Mullen said.

“He’s had a tough season. He has a bad arm and has been on the disabled list twice. He hasn’t been able to win. I’m sure the guy is discouraged and distressed. He’s always been successful. I’m still hopeful he’ll show up in Montreal.”

The Atlanta official said Perez left Shea Stadium in New York with a brother, and “it’s my guess he spent the night with him.”

Manager Eddie Haas was asked if he would suspend Perez and was quoted in Monday’s Atlanta Journal as saying, “First I want to talk to him before I do anything.”

Perez missed a scheduled start with the Braves in 1982 when he got lost driving to Atlanta Stadium. He missed spring training and the first month of the 1984 season while in jail on drug-related charges in his native Dominican Republic.