“You have to go back to the basics,” said former MLB pitcher Dave Rodriquez. “Simplify your approach and find a consistent place and get back on a role,” he added.

Rodriguez, a former pitcher with the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies, now offers his experience and knowledge as a pitching instructor to players from a young age right through to the professional level.

“Pitchers rely a lot on rhythm and creating a repeatable motion. If you work a simple routine, going from step A to B to C and you show proof that it works – you now have a template,” explained Rodriguez. “Once you have that template, you create that repeatable motion and build off of it. From that, your confidence increases and you grow as a player,” he added.

Although Perez has shown brilliance at times in his career with the Mets, more times than not, the physical and mental breakdowns have caused the lefty to be quite inconsistent.

In his first start in 2010, Perez faced the St. Louis Cardinals pitching 6.1 innings and allowing only one earned run in a no-decision. Following a few average to below average starts the downfall ensued. His control became erratic and there were obvious signs of frustration and mechanical breakdown.

“If you’re not able to do what you want to do, just image the mental frustration. It wears on you and you begin to question yourself,” said Rodriguez.

“Right now Oliver is pitching as though he is walking into a room, but not completely closing the door behind him. It’s a lack of follow-through” said Rodriguez.

“I feel bad for him and the Mets,” said Rodriguez. He added, “He’s a great talent with great potential. He needs to improve not only his mechanics, but also his mental approach to the game.”

Perez, 28 has not won a game through the first two months of the season. “I think if he made some physical changes it would create a positive response,” said Rodriguez. He went on to say, “You need to maintain focus and be plugged in on every pitch. If you’re not plugged in you can easily implode and I think that’s Oliver’s demise right now.”

“From a mechanical perspective he’s just not completing his follow-through,” said Rodriguez. He went on to explain, “If my throwing motion is correct and I am finishing the way I am supposed to, then the ball should be going where it’s supposed to go.” However, for Perez that consistency has not been forthcoming resulting in the pitcher’s exile into the bullpen.

Rodriguez offers this advice to the pitcher, “When he throws a strike, he has to quickly say to himself, ‘okay there it is -  now piggy-back off that pitch and repeat it.’”

For Perez, a stint in the minors just might be the answer or at least a step in the right direction at this point. With his demotion to the bullpen, Perez is getting limited innings in less important situations.

“He needs to hit reset, get back to basics, clean the slate, tie the loose strings together and get on a role,” says Rodriguez. He added, “For all big league players the key is consistency.”

If Perez can in fact find that allusive “key” of consistency, the Mets could bolster their rotation in hopes for a division title.