An MLB journeyman showed appreciation to the Atlanta Braves organization.
The Atlanta Braves are one of the most active teams in MLB when it comes to cycling through bullpen arms to keep their top options fresh.
This past weekend, that resulted in the Braves calling up 31-year-old journeyman Ray Kerr to take the spot of left-hander Danny Young on the active roster.
Young had struggled across 16 appearances, owning an 8.03 ERA in 12 1/3 innings while completely losing control of the strike zone, leading to his designation for assignment and Kerr's promotion.
Kerr made his first appearance for Atlanta on Monday during their matchup with the Minnesota Twins. He entered in the bottom of the seventh inning with runners on first and second and was able to escape the jam.
He stayed out for the eighth inning as well, collecting four total outs and allowing three baserunners while keeping the Braves in the game.
Atlanta was ultimately unable to pull off a late-inning rally and fell to the Twins by a final score of 4-2, but Kerr's outing was encouraging given the high-leverage circumstances.
The performance also carried personal significance. It officially marked Kerr's first appearance in over two years, as he had not pitched in the big leagues since the 2024 season, which was also with Atlanta.
After the game, he made clear exactly what this opportunity means to him. "For them to give me the opportunity to come back and play, and believe in me like that, I'm going to show them something this year," Kerr said (h/t Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Kerr earned this chance through his performance in the minors this season, posting a 3.09 ERA with 16 strikeouts across just 11 2/3 innings, which prompted Atlanta to give him a shot.
Aside from the Braves, Kerr also has big-league experience with the San Diego Padres from 2022 to 2023, giving him a familiarity with performing at the highest level.
His spot on the roster appears secure for now. The Braves designated right-hander Tyler Kinley for assignment on Tuesday, signaling that Kerr is here to stay in the short term at least.
The Braves bullpen has been in search of reliable arms since setup man Robert Suarez went down back in June, and Kerr could potentially fill that void.
He has the rest of the season to prove what he said, and Monday was a solid first step toward doing exactly that. Atlanta is still looking to improve around the margins as October baseball gets closer.
