The Atlanta Braves need right-hander Robert Suarez back in the bullpen.
The Atlanta Braves chose not to add any high-leverage arms at this year's trade deadline, not just for the starting rotation but also for the backend of the bullpen.
President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos clearly trusts the team he built this offseason rather than panicking at the midway point, a strategy he has employed consistently since taking over the organization back in 2017.
However, one of his major pieces has been unavailable for nearly two months, and that player is right-hander Robert Suarez. Suarez signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Braves this past offseason. The 35-year-old veteran led the National League in saves with 40 in 2025 with the San Diego Padres.
His signing raised some eyebrows initially given Atlanta had already re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias to a one-year deal, but it made sense as insurance for Iglesias while also giving the Braves a chance to build one of the best one-two punches to close out a game in baseball.
That is exactly what the pair delivered from Opening Day through late June. When healthy this year, Suarez posted a minuscule 0.56 ERA with four saves and 26 strikeouts across 32 innings of work.
Unfortunately, he has not been available since then due to a right forearm and elbow injury. An MRI did reveal no structural damage, but that was where the good news ended, as Suarez still felt discomfort and had not thrown in weeks.
That changed when manager Walt Weiss spoke to reporters during Atlanta's series against the New York Mets. "Robert Suarez will begin throwing tomorrow per Walt Weiss," reported Jesus Cano of The Athletic.
With Suarez beginning his throwing progression, there is now time for him to ramp up assuming he does not suffer any setbacks.
Given how much time he has missed, that progression will likely include multiple bullpen sessions and a rehab assignment, making a regular season return far from guaranteed. But to see Suarez take a meaningful step forward is still huge.
At this stage, the Braves are really just hoping to get him back in time for October with potentially a couple of outings under his belt.
Their bullpen becomes a major strength the moment Suarez is available, especially given how uncertain the starting rotation is beyond left-hander Chris Sale. Getting him healthy before the postseason could make life a lot easier for Weiss in his first season at the helm.
