CLEVELAND -- When Oliver Pérez made his Major League debut as a 20-year-old on June 16, 2002, he never would’ve imagined that he’d still be on the rubber in a big league uniform in '20. And now, his long career has gotten his name etched in some history books.

After making his first relief appearance of the year on Sunday, Pérez officially began his 18th Major League season, which set a new record for the most by a Mexican-born player.

“I think if you ask that question to all old players like, ‘[Did you think you’d] be playing for this long?’ There’s no way,” Pérez joked. “When they canceled the season in Spring Training, I was feeling like not great because I was really close to making [the team] because the season was like 10 days away from the start. But at the same time, it was way too far to get into the season."

Although he had to wait a few extra months, Pérez finally reached his 18th year. To celebrate, his wife surprised him with a video of friends and family members congratulating him on the feat.

“I was crying,” Pérez said. “I was crying with her because a lot of the people, I haven’t seen them in quite a while and they told me a lot of things and that was a great time.”

Pérez has now broken his tie with Fernando Valenzuela, Juan Castro and Aurelio Rodriguez. Valenzuela’s 17-year career wrapped up in 1997, and Pérez had the opportunity to meet him a few times through the World Baseball Classic.

“In the short time speaking to him, it inspired me,” Pérez said. “He inspired me when I was young and that’s what I wanted. I want people to take my career as an example. All the hard work I was doing, all the ups and downs and everything that’s happened in my career, I want to like show people like how my career was. I think that’s why I continue to do it.”

From 2008-10, Pérez battled some injuries and said he was trying to pitch while only being about 60 percent healthy. Because of that, his numbers started to go in the wrong direction and he ended up getting released by the Mets before the '11 season. It was then that he debated retiring, but now he’s thankful that his wife and parents reminded him that he was only 29 and had so many more years of baseball left in him.

“I started thinking I was still 29 and those three years weren’t because I was no good,” Pérez said. “I was hurt. That’s what I was thinking about. At the same time, I was working out and working out, and then I got my confidence back and my velocity back and here I am.”

Tito reaches out to Kluber
The Tribe parted ways with their two-time Cy Young Award winning ace Corey Kluber in December, trading him to the Rangers in exchange for Emmanuel Clase and Delino DeShields. But Kluber’s Rangers’ debut lasted just 18 pitches on Sunday before he was removed from the game with an injury.

On Monday, it was revealed that Kluber sustained a Grade 2 tear of the teres major muscle in the back of his right shoulder. He will be shut down from throwing for at least four weeks and then will be reevaluated. He had missed the majority of the 2019 season with a forearm fracture and oblique strain. When Cleveland manager Terry Francona got word of the news, he reached out to his former starter via text.

“Just telling him that I’m thinking about him,” Francona said. “That’s tough. He’s really run into some tough luck. He was coming back last year and the oblique got in the way. Now he’s an inning into... you know. I don’t care who they’re with, or they’re not with you anymore. Whatever the circumstances, you certainly feel for that. That doesn’t make anybody feel good.”

Taxi squad plans
This season, teams will be able to carry up to three additional players who are not on their 30-man roster on road trips. The taxi squad must include at least one catcher, but because of the recent coronavirus outbreak in Miami, the Tribe is considering just bringing backstop Beau Taylor along with them on Thursday to limit how many people are traveling.

“Some of it is going to depend on where we are, how our team looks,” Francona said. “We have 30 on there now. You’re looking at 33. And we’re traveling for the first time. So there’s some thought that we may just take a catcher and nobody else, just because the room’s going to get pretty crowded. But those are conversations we continue to have.”