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Kyle Wright Could Pitch Out Of Braves’ Bullpen In The Playoffs

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The last time Kyle Wright pitched out of the bullpen in the regular season was 2019. After four disastrous starts earlier in the year, the then-23-year-old rookie made three appearances out of the bullpen in September, giving up just one run while striking out four.

The last time Wright pitched out of the bullpen in the playoffs was during the 2021 World Series. He threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up one run and striking out six. Despite spending most of the season in the minors, he played a pivotal role in the closest game of a close-fought Fall Classic.

On Sunday afternoon, Wright emerged from the Braves’ bullpen once again. He threw three innings in relief of Allan Winans, giving up one run on three hits. He struck out two. It was, potentially, a preview of what’s to come in October. After the game, the 27-year-old right-hander told reporters (including Mark Bowman of MLB.com) that he could pitch out of the ’pen in the playoffs. “I’ve done it before, and I’ve pitched pretty well,” he explained. “I’m open to anything and whatever I can do to help us win.”

In 2022, Wright was one of the most reliable starting pitchers in the National League, finishing with a 3.19 ERA and a league-leading 21 wins. He took the ball in game two of the NLDS against the Phillies, throwing six scoreless frames and collecting the win in what would turn out to be the Braves’ only victory of the series. Unfortunately, his follow-up campaign has been marred by injury and ineffectiveness. Wright dealt with shoulder soreness during spring training, pushing back his season debut. Then, he pitched to a 5.79 ERA in his first five starts before his shoulder landed him back on the IL. Although he returned to the rotation in mid-September, he continued to struggle, giving up ten runs across seven innings in two starts. Simply put, he didn’t look ready to ramp back up to a starting job in time for the NLDS. Thus, his best opportunity to help his team will be in a bullpen role.

No one could accuse the Braves of making this decision lightly. Indeed, they could certainly use another healthy arm in the rotation. Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder make for a reliable top two, but things get shaky after that. Winans is holding down a spot in the rotation, but it’s hard to believe Atlanta will give the 28-year-old rookie a start in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Max Fried and Charlie Morton are both on the 15-day IL. Fried is nursing a blister, and he is expected back in time for the NLDS, but Morton is dealing with inflammation in his right index finger and won’t be ready until at least the NLCS. That means that even if Fried returns on time, the Braves will only have three starters for their first postseason matchup. If the series goes five games, they’ll need to have two of Strider, Elder, and Fried make multiple starts. That should be possible, given the off days in the schedule, but it’s still a lot to ask of the youngsters or the injury-plagued ace.

In such a case, Wright could serve a valuable multi-inning role out of the bullpen. Not only can he provide length behind the starters, thereby lightening their workload, but he could also pitch multiple innings in a potential bullpen game. Atlanta’s other long relievers have struggled lately; Michael Tonkin has a 7.07 ERA over the past month, while Collin McHugh had a 5.93 ERA in the month before he hit the injured list with shoulder inflammation.

Wright has not yet earned a spot on the Braves’ postseason roster. After such a difficult season, he’ll need more than one solid relief appearance to demonstrate he’s ready for October. Yet considering his high ceiling, manager Brian Snitker should give the righty every chance to prove himself before the regular season wraps up.

Braves Place Charlie Morton On 15-Day Injured List

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The Braves announced today that veteran right-hander Charlie Morton had been placed on the 15-day injured list with right index finger inflammation. Fellow righty Allan Winans was called up in the corresponding move. The move not only ends Morton’s regular season, but also means that he will likely be unable to pitch in the NLDS as well, as he won’t be eligible to be activated until after rosters are set for the series. That said, if the Braves need to make an IL move midway through the series, it’s possible that they could activate Morton as a corresponding move when replacing the hypothetical injured player.

In any case, the loss of Morton is a major blow to a Braves team that has reigned as baseball’s best club throughout most of the 2023 campaign. Slated to be the club’s Game 3 starter this postseason behind the club’s dual aces Max Fried and Spencer Strider, the 39-year-old hurler has put together a vintage season for the Braves this year with a 3.64 ERA that’s 21% better than league average by measure of ERA+ and is backed up by a solid 3.88 FIP. Morton boasts a solid 25.6% strikeout rate and has generated groundballs at a solid 43.3% clip this season.

With Morton likely out for the NLDS, the club figures to turn to right-hander Bryce Elder to take the ball behind Fried and Strider. Elder was nothing short of incredible in the first half with a 2.97 ERA in his first eighteen starts, but the young righty has struggled badly in recent months with a 5.40 ERA and a nearly matching 5.37 FIP in his last 13 appearances. Another possibility would be right-hander Kyle Wright, who posted a 3.19 ERA en route to a MLB-leading 21-win campaign last year, but the 27-year-old hurler has battled injuries and ineffectiveness throughout the year, posting a brutal 7.71 ERA across just 25 1/3 innings of work. With limited time remaining for Wright to right the ship, it seems likely Atlanta will opt to utilize Elder to round out the playoff rotation until Morton is eligible to return.

In the meantime, replacing Morton on the roster is Winans, a 27-year-old rookie who sports a 4.50 ERA and 2.76 FIP across four spot starts this season. He’ll make another start this afternoon in game one of the club’s doubleheader against the Nationals opposite right-hander Jackson Rutledge.

Braves Won't Promote Hurston Waldrep To Majors

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  • Right-hander Hurston Waldrep’s season is over, as the Braves prospect won’t pitch again in 2023 after tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his first Triple-A start yesterday.  The 24th overall pick of the 2023 draft, Waldrep had pitched so well in his first professional season that there had been some speculation that the Braves could turn to the 21-year-old as a secret weapon out of the bullpen for the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.  However, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the Braves didn’t want to rush things with the young hurler, and the Triple-A debut came about because the organization wanted Waldrep to get one more outing since the Double-A season is already over.  Baseball America and MLB Pipeline each rate Waldrep as the #2 prospect in Atlanta’s farm system, and the righty has delivered a 1.53 ERA and a 33.3% strikeout rate over 29 1/3 total innings, split between A-ball, high-A, Double-A, and Triple-A.

Braves Notes: Acuna, Morton, Ozuna

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Ronald Acuna Jr. hit his 40th home run of the season in Friday’s 9-6 Braves over the Nationals, putting the star outfielder into some elite company in MLB history.  Acuna became just the fifth player — after Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano — to post a season of at least 40 homers and at least 40 stolen bases.  “At least” is a notable qualifier here, as Acuna also has an incredible 68 steals this year, the most of any player in the 40-40 club.  (Rodriguez previously held that mark with his 46-steal season in 1998, to go along with his 42 homers.)  As such, Acuna is the only member of the 40-50 club, the 40-60 club, and maybe the 40-70 club if he can manage two more swipes over the Braves’ final eight games of the regular season.

You need to go pretty deep into the record books to find a similarly productive blend of both hitting and basestealing prowess in a single season.  Among all players in history with a season of at least 68 steals, Acuna’s 170 wRC+ is topped only by Ty Cobb (four times, the last in the 1916 season) and John McGraw (a 178 wRC+ in 1899).  In modern times, Acuna is only the fifth player of the 21st century to hit the 68-steal threshold, with Jose Reyes’ 78 steals in 2007 sitting as the highest mark of any player in the 2000s.

Here’s the latest from Atlanta…

  • Charlie Morton started yesterday’s game but pitched only one inning due to a sprain in his right index finger.  The veteran righty will get an MRI today to further access the injury, though initial x-rays Friday were negative.  The discomfort was enough that Morton was taken out of the game for at least precautionary reasons, as the Braves obviously don’t want to take any risks with a player’s health this close to the playoffs.  “It’s literally, like, such a small piece of my body, and it could have a large impact on how I perform and if I can go, at least to a degree that I’m effective…I’m hopeful that in four or five days, I’ll feel good,” Morton told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Justin Toscano and other reporters.  Unless the MRI reveals something serious, Morton isn’t likely to be placed on the 15-day injured list, as that would make him ineligible for the start of the Braves’ NLDS matchup.  It remains to be seen how serious Morton’s finger sprain is, but it isn’t ideal for the rotation that Morton is hurting and Max Fried (also sidelined with what seems to be a relatively minor blister problem) was just placed on the 15-day IL yesterday, though the timing allows for Fried to return in time for the start of Atlanta’s first playoff series.  Morton is projected to line up as the Braves’ third starter in the postseason, behind Spencer Strider and Fried.
  • Marcell Ozuna’s terrible start to the season, his down numbers in 2021-22, and his history of off-the-field issues led to speculation that Atlanta was considering outright releasing the veteran and eating the final year-plus of his four-year, $65MM contract.  However, the team publicly expressed its confidence in Ozuna in late April, and that confidence also extended behind the scenes, as The Athletic’s David O’Brien (X link) writes that the Braves “weren’t close to cutting him” and “absolutely were not discussing” the possibility.  It proved to be a wise decision, as Ozuna has hit .293/.360/.579 with 34 homers over 494 plate appearances since May 1.  Ozuna’s 132 wRC+ is the third-highest total of his 11 Major League seasons, indicating that he has plenty left in the tank as he approaches his 33rd birthday in November.  Ozuna is set to earn $18MM in 2024, and the Braves hold a $16MM club option ($1MM buyout) on his services for the 2025 campaign.

Braves Place Max Fried On 15-Day Injured List

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The Braves announced Friday that ace Max Fried has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a blister on his left index finger. Righty Darius Vines has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to take his spot on the roster.

Fried’s placement on the injured list will cause some brief panic for Braves fans, but the 15-day term will expire before the National League Division Series kicks off. As such, the injury isn’t likely to impact his postseason availability. Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets that Fried suggested his regular season might be over last night after the blister issue flared back up, but his playoff status isn’t likely to be in jeopardy.

The IL stint will give Fried a couple weeks of rest before he takes the mound again — likely in the first or second game of the Division Series. Atlanta has long since clinched a postseason berth, and as the NL’s top seed, they’ll have a bye for the Wild Card round of play. Their commanding lead in the National League will give them the luxury of skipping a couple starts for Fried and also recalling a fresh arm (Vines) to keep the pitching staff fully stocked.

Fried’s 2023 season has been shortened by a hamstring strain, a forearm strain and now this blister issue. He’ll finish out the year at just 77 2/3 innings, though he’s been characteristically excellent when on the mound. In 14 starts, he’s pitched to a pristine 2.55 ERA with a 25.7% strikeout rate, 5.8% walk rate, 57.7% ground-ball rate and 0.81 HR/9. Dating back to 2020, Fried boasts a 2.66 ERA in 484 2/3 big league innings.

Assuming the blister issue heals as expected, Fried will step into a playoff rotation alongside veteran Charlie Morton and sophomore hurler Spencer Strider — baseball’s strikeout leader. Righty Bryce Elder would be next in line, although he’s at a career-high workload already and has struggled after a brilliant three-month run to begin the season. Since July 9, Elder has pitched to a 5.40 ERA in 68 1/3 frames.

While Fried’s absence won’t impact the Braves’ playoff position, his placement on the IL could still impact the postseason picture as a whole. The Cubs are in a tight race with the Marlins and Reds for the final National League Wild Card spot — the three teams are separated by just a half game — and Chicago would’ve drawn Fried at some point during next week’s penultimate series of the season in Atlanta. Much to the chagrin of Reds and Marlins fans, the Cubs will now dodge that bullet.

Braves Outright Dereck Rodríguez, Lucas Luetge

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The Braves have sent right-hander Dereck Rodríguez outright to Triple-A Gwinnett, according to his transactions tracker on MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. The same is true for left-hander Lucas Luetge, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Rodríguez, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Twins in the offseason. He was selected to the big league roster in May and made one appearance before heading to Atlanta on a waiver claim. He spent most of his time on optional assignment before being passed through waivers in July. He stuck with the organization and was added back to the roster this past weekend. He was sent in for some mop-up duty on Sunday and didn’t exactly get the floor clean, allowing eight earned runs in two innings before being designated for assignment again.

He now has an earned run average of 15.19 this year over four appearances, though that’s mostly due to that recent drubbing. He has a career 4.49 ERA in 234 1/3 innings dating back to 2018, mostly with the Giants. He has thrown 64 Triple-A innings this year with a 5.91 ERA.

Since he has a previous career outright, Rodríguez has the ability to reject this assignment and elect free agency. It’s not clear whether or not he has chosen to do so, but given that the season is almost over and he accepted an outright a few months ago, it’s possible he reports to Gwinnett for a few more outings before the winter arrives.

Luetge, 36, was acquired from the Yankees in the offseason and has bounced on and off the roster all year, with this being the third time Atlanta has passed him through waivers. In the first two instances, he was able to elect free agency since he has more than three years of service time. But since he’s shy of the five-year mark, doing so would have meant forfeiting what was left of his $1.55MM salary.

By sticking around, he kept that money and got selected back to the roster later. Around those transactions, he made 12 big league appearances with a 7.24 ERA. In 20 Triple-A outings this year, he has a 3.91 ERA. He now has the chance to elect free agency again but will likely accept as he has done earlier this season, giving the club some non-roster relief depth for the final weeks of the season.

Braves Reinstate Jesse Chavez, Designate Lucas Luetge For Assignment

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The Braves announced that right-hander Jesse Chavez has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, with left-hander Lucas Luetge designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Chavez, who turned 40 while on the IL, has been out of action since mid-June after being hit by a comebacker on his left leg. The club announced at the time that X-rays did not reveal a fracture, but it nonetheless took him over three months to rejoin the team.

The veteran signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in the offseason and cracked the Opening Day roster. He made 31 appearances prior to his injury with an earned run average of 1.55 in that time. He was helped out a bit by an 85.4% strand rate but still had excellent peripherals with a 30.8% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and 48.5% ground ball rate.  If he can get back into that form now that he’s healthy, he will strengthen the club’s bullpen just in time for the playoffs.

Luetge, 36, was acquired from the Yankees in an offseason trade and has bounced on and off the Atlanta roster this year. He was selected just yesterday and was entered into last night’s game with the club down 7-1 to the Phillies. He threw two scoreless innings to finish the contest and has now been quickly cut from the roster for a fresh arm, his third time being designated for assignment this year.

The lefty has more than three years of major league service time, which means he can reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency. But since he has less than five years of service, doing so would mean forfeiting the remainder of his $1.55MM salary. Twice already this year, he has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment, which could perhaps come to pass again in the coming days. Around those transactions, he’s posted a 7.24 ERA in 13 2/3 innings at the big league level, along with an ERA of 3.91 in 23 Triple-A innings.

Braves Select Lucas Luetge, Designate Dereck Rodríguez For Assignment

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The Braves announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Lucas Luetge, with right-hander Dereck Rodríguez designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Luetge, 36, was acquired from the Yankees in an offseason trade but hasn’t secured a firm place in Atlanta. He has struggled in brief looks at the major league level, with an earned run average of 8.49 in 11 outings. That has come in sporadic fashion, as he was twice been designated for assignment and passed through waivers, with today being the second time he’s been added back to the roster.

That’s a very small sample and his work outside of that has been much better. He has a 3.91 ERA in 23 innings at the Triple-A level this year and he also posted a 2.71 ERA for the Yanks at the major league level across 2021 and 2022, tossing 129 2/3 innings in that time. He’ll give the club a third left-handed option in the bullpen, alongside A.J. Minter and Brad Hand.

Rodríguez, 31, was selected to the club’s roster just yesterday and was immediately thrust into action. Charlie Morton started the game against the Marlins and didn’t have his best outing, allowing six earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. Rodriguez was put into the game and absorbed two innings, but allowed eight earned runs in that time while throwing 54 pitches. In order to save the bullpen, the club had infielder Nicky Lopez throw an inning and a third before the game ended with a 16-2 score.

Rodríguez will now be placed on waivers in the coming days, the third time for him this year. He was signed by the Twins to a minor league deal in the offseason, getting selected to the big league club in May. After just one appearances, he was claimed off waivers by Atlanta, who mostly kept him on optional assignment. He made one appearance for them in May and another in July, getting designated for assignment after the latter. After rejoining the club yesterday and getting shelled, he has an ERA of 15.19 in the majors this year, along with a 5.91 ERA in the minors.

NL Notes: Fried, Anderson, Braves, McGough, Wiemer

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Max Fried’s next start is being pushed back, as the Braves southpaw won’t next pitch until sometime during Atlanta’s upcoming series with the Nationals that starts on Thursday.  In Fried’s last outing on September 12, he developed a hot spot on his finger, and manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that the club was being cautious to prevent Fried from developing a blister.  With the NL East clinched, the Braves naturally want to make sure their roster is healthy and set for the playoffs, especially a front-of-the-rotation arm like Fried.

Nick Anderson’s participation on a postseason roster has yet to be determined, as the righty has missed over two months due to a shoulder strain.  Anderson will start a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday, but as Toscano notes, the reliever won’t have a lot of time to ramp up since the Triple-A season ends next weekend.  Atlanta will get some extra time to decide on Anderson, Jesse Chavez (also on a rehab assignment) and other players on the borderline of its roster due to the first-round bye in the playoffs, and the pitching mix figures to get particular attention.  The Braves’ hurlers have been quite good for most of the season, but have a collective 5.60 ERA since August 31 — the fifth-highest in baseball in that span.

More from around the National League…

  • The Diamondbacks placed right-hander Scott McGough on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, and McGough might only pitch again if Arizona makes the postseason, manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com and other reporters.  Signed to a two-year, $6.25MM free agent last winter, McGough was making his return to North American baseball after an impressive four-year run in Japan, and the D’Backs had designs on using McGough in high-leverage relief situations.  The results were mixed, as McGough displayed some shaky control and allowed a lot of hard contact in posting a 4.73 ERA over 70 1/3 innings, though his 28.6% strikeout rate and 49.2% grounder rate were both strong.  The righty had nine saves while getting some looks in the closer role before Arizona acquired Paul Sewald at the trade deadline.
  • The Brewers activated outfielder Blake Perkins from the 10-day injured list today, as Perkins returned to the roster after missing about five weeks due to an oblique strain.  In the corresponding move, Milwaukee optioned Joey Wiemer to Triple-A, as Wiemer has been mired in a lengthy lengthy slump of just three hits in his last 38 plate appearances.  This will mark Wiemer’s first Triple-A action of 2023, as he has spent the rest of his rookie season in the bigs, hitting .204/.283/.362 over 410 plate appearances.  Injuries within the Brewers’ outfield have led to regular playing time for the former top-100 prospect, and while Wiemer hasn’t contributed much at the plate, his glovework in center field has been well above average.  However, Sal Frelick has gradually taken over regular center field duty, as Wiemer hasn’t hit enough to retain his spot in the lineup.  With the Brewers heading towards the NL Central title, it remains to be seen if Wiemer might return to the active roster before the season is out, or if his defense might merit him a postseason roster slot.

Braves Select Dereck Rodriguez

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The Braves announced this morning that they have selected the contract of right-hander Dereck Rodriguez. Left-hander Jared Shuster was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Rodriguez on the active roster, while lefty Dylan Lee was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for Rodriguez on the 40-man roster.

Rodriguez, 31, joined the Braves earlier this year when he was claimed off waivers from the Twins. He appeared in two games with the club earlier this season, posting 2 2/3 scoreless innings during that time, but was designated for assignment after the club acquired left-hander Taylor Hearn in late July. Shortly thereafter, Rodriguez accepted an outright assignment to remain in the Braves organization. In 44 2/3 innings of work with the club’s Triple-A affiliate this season, the right-hander has posted an ugly 6.45 ERA with a 21.1% strikeout rate against a 9.5% walk rate.

Rodriguez’s career in the big leagues began in 2018 as a member of the Giants. The then-26-year-old hurler pitched well in his rookie season, with a 2.81 ERA and 3.73 FIP in 21 games (19 starts) with San Francisco. Unfortunately, Rodriguez has struggled ever since that strong debut, with a 5.68 ERA and 6.04 FIP in 114 innings of work at the big league level since the start of the 2019 season. While it seems unlikely Rodriguez will return to the production he generated in his rookie season, he could nonetheless help a beleaguered Braves bullpen that has posted a 5.64 ERA since the start of September.

Shuster’s up-and-down role as a spot starter this season continues as he’s optioned back to Triple-A following his start against the Marlins yesterday. The 25-year-old has struggled to a 5.64 ERA in 52 2/3 innings of work (11 starts) this season, but figures to continue to act as starting depth for the Braves going forward. As for Lee, the lefty was placed on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation earlier this week. The injury was already expected to render him shut down until the 2024 campaign, so his move to the 60-day IL is entirely procedural.

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