The Atlanta Braves made a roster move on Wednesday.
The Atlanta Braves made some changes to their pitching group at the big-league level ahead of Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres.
"The Braves today reinstated RHP Tyler Kinley from the injured list after optioning RHP JR Ritchie to Triple-A Gwinnett. The club also selected RHP Ian Hamilton to the major league roster and designated RHP Carlos Carrasco for assignment," the Braves wrote on X.
The biggest move here is Ritchie heading back down to Triple-A. This marks his second option to the minors, and while the first came simply because Spencer Strider returned from injury, this one appears to be performance related.
The 22-year-old rookie has struggled over his last two outings, allowing nine runs, walking seven hitters and surrendering 10 hits in starts against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. He has continued to strike out hitters, but has given up too much hard contact to remain in the rotation right now.
The Braves will go with Reynaldo Lopez as their fifth starter instead, a former All-Star with experience in the role. Atlanta has plenty of pitching assets, and it makes more sense to let Ritchie continue developing at Triple-A while sliding Lopez back into the rotation from the bullpen, where he has been effective this year.
As for Carrasco, he is no stranger to being designated for assignment, with this marking the sixth time it has happened over the past year. Each time he has cleared waivers and signed a new deal, and that pattern will likely continue.
He has actually been effective this year, posting a 3.68 ERA, but with Hamilton ready to contribute at the big-league level, the Braves made the change. Hamilton has done well at Triple-A Gwinnett this season, posting a 3.18 ERA along with a solid strikeout rate, and should slot in as a promising long-relief option out of the bullpen.
Kinley returning from the injured list is also a big addition. He is a reliable arm who gives manager Walt Weiss another trusted option. With Lopez moving back into the rotation, Kinley and Hamilton should absorb the bullpen innings that open up as a result.
For a Braves team with one of the best records in baseball and legitimate World Series aspirations, keeping the pitching staff fresh and deep heading into the second half is exactly the kind of roster management that separates contenders from the rest of the field.
