Atlanta shuffled its bullpen again on Wednesday.
The Atlanta Braves designated Hayden Harris for assignment on Wednesday and selected the contract of Elieser Hernández from Triple-A Gwinnett, with Blake Burkhalter optioned back to Gwinnett one day after his big league debut.
The team announced the moves before Wednesday's finale in Washington, and none of the three should surprise anyone watching this bullpen.
Hernández needed a spot on the 40-man roster, Harris was the easiest name to remove, and Burkhalter had to come off the active roster for a fresh arm.
Why Harris Lost His Spot
Harris made his major league debut on September 2, 2025, and one year later he is off the roster after throwing only 2 2/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA over three appearances last September.
He has not pitched in the majors this season.
His year at Gwinnett went badly, with a 5.28 ERA and 36 walks in 46 innings, and the Braves moved him down to Double-A Columbus late last month.
It is hard to argue with the decision.
A 27-year-old reliever who cannot find the strike zone at Triple-A will not help a team chasing a division title.
MLB Trade Rumors noted that Harris still has minor league options, so another club could claim him, but that is someone else's front office's problem now.
Hernández Keeps Coming Back
Hernández has spent the summer going in circles.
Atlanta selected his contract on July 19 and again on July 29, designated him for assignment after each stint, and both times he elected free agency and signed a new minor league deal within days, so Wednesday made it three call-ups in seven weeks.
Hernández has thrown six innings with one earned run and a 1.50 ERA in two outings for Atlanta, and both were three-inning stints that saved the bullpen.
The 31-year-old is not going to pitch high-leverage innings, but with rosters at 28 players in September, he might finally stick around longer than a week.
The Braves brought Burkhalter up alongside Kyle Farmer on Tuesday, and he pitched the sixth inning that night, giving up one run on one hit and one walk with a strikeout over 23 pitches.
The option is about roster construction rather than performance, and Walt Weiss liked what he saw despite the run.
Weiss said, "Good job by Burky. Good arm. He gave up the one run, but I saw good stuff. Good fastball, good breaking ball, hard breaking ball and the cutter. So yeah, I thought he handled himself well."
What It Means for the Stretch Run
Atlanta sits at 82-57 and leads the Phillies by three games in the National League East, but the gap is shrinking, as Philadelphia has won six straight while the Braves have dropped two in a row after a seven-game winning streak.
The pitching staff has also taken real hits, with Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach both lost to season-ending elbow surgery and Robert Suarez transferred to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday with right elbow inflammation.
Wednesday's game at Nationals Park is followed by an off day Thursday, and then the Braves open a four-game series in Philadelphia on Friday that could decide the division, so a small move like this one means more than it looks.
