The Braves announced a series of roster moves this morning as they selected right-hander Daysbel Hernandez to the active roster. In a corresponding move, right-hander Jesse Chavez was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Right-hander Allan Winans was optioned to Triple-A following last night’s game, so there was already space for Hernandez on the active roster.
Hernandez’s first appearance will be his big league debut. After playing in Cuba as a teenager, the right-hander began his affiliated career in 2018 as a reliever with a 4.50 ERA in 38 innings between Single-A and High-A with the Braves. He then returned to High-A in 2019 and dominated the level to the tune of a 1.71 ERA in 52 2/3 innings of work. In 2021, Hernandez reached the upper-minors with a strong performance at Double-A though he struggled badly in 9 2/3 innings at Triple-A to end the season, posting a 7.45 ERA. He missed the entire 2022 campaign due to injury but returned earlier this season and has posted 16 2/3 scoreless innings between the Double-A and Triple-A levels complete with a whopping 44% strikeout rate.
That phenomenal performance was enough for the club to add the 26-year-old hurler to a bullpen that sports an NL-best 3.53 ERA in 2023. While the club’s relief corps has certainly been impressive to this point, only five NL clubs have leaned on their bullpen more heavily to this point in the season than the Braves, who have gotten 352 innings out of their relievers so far. Between that workload and injuries to key players like Chavez, A.J. Minter, and Nick Anderson, it’s certainly feasible that Hernandez could provide a boost to the club’s bullpen going forward. Given his overpowering stuff and impressive numbers in the minors this year, there’s a chance he’ll factor into the club’s late inning mix alongside the likes of Kirby Yates and Collin McHugh ahead of closer Raisel Iglesias.
Making room for Hernandez on the 40-man roster is Chavez, who now won’t be eligible to return from the IL until mid-August. A veteran in his sixteenth big league season who will celebrate his 40th birthday next month, Chavez has managed to have a late-career renaissance out of the bullpen in recent years, with a 3.46 ERA that’s 33% better than league average by measure of ERA+ in 322 innings of work since the start of the 2018 season. He’s been particularly excellent with Atlanta over the past two seasons, with a sterling 2.30 ERA in 82 innings of work for the club.
As for Winans, the 27-year-old righty had a solid if uneven big league debut for the Braves last night. In 4 1/3 innings of work, Winans allowed two runs on five hits but struck out five while walking just one. Winans could be in the mix for a spot start alongside the likes of Dylan Dodd, Jared Shuster, and AJ Smith-Shawver the next time the club requires one, though with two off-days this week and left-hander Max Fried on a rehab assignment at Triple-A, the club may not need to deep into their rotation depth for some time.
So they have a roster spot open, right? Wall looked great stealing 2 bases to get on 3rd in the 9th (before Arcia, Albies struck out). I imagine they’re preparing for if Elder has a 3rd shelling in a row.
> Daysbel Hernandez
Cherry-picking some stats:
In AA and AAA this year—
12 G 16.2 IP 4 H 0 ER 0 HR 5 BB 26 K 6 GF 2 SV
From CBS—
The 26-year-old missed the entire 2022 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery
Winans was really good last evening, I do hope he gets another opportunity, this is all about that bullpen, with no Jesse, and no Dylan Lee, no Nick Anderson, no AJ Minter, that bullpen needs a lot of reinforcements. As Hemlock has stated 16.2 ip in AA and AAA combined 26 k for 0 runs for Mr Hernandez sounds really promising.
While I hope Winans gets another shot, I wonder how much is bc MIL hadn’t seen him, similar to Dodd. May get you some sneaky IP before teams get many looks at you, but in the long run, plan accordingly.
I am concerned about Raisel Iglesias. Very few 1-2-3 innings. Very hittable. That said, his career BABIP is .289 and this year he’s at .329 so maybe he’s been unlucky. But, no.
2021-2023:
EV 85.6, 86.6. 88.0mph (+2.4mph on avg)
K% 37.7%, 31.7%, 27.6% (-10.1%)
Batters are hitting the ball harder and striking out a lot less against Iglesias.
A little more research on Iglesias—
In 2023 batters are hitting:
.571 AVG against Sinker
.417 AVG against 4-seamer
Both of those pitches were historically in the .190 to .270 range prior to this year aside from 2019 when hitters hit .394 against his sinker. Tipping his pitches, not mixing them up enough, or blame it on the new guy, Sean Murphy?
Source: baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/raisel-iglesi…
Of course he pitches a 1-2-3 ninth today with 3 Ks.
Hemlock, I do believe he read your detraction.
He pitched today as though somebody done pissed him off!
Yes, Braves pitching is experiencing some hiccups thanks mostly to injuries. Let’s hope it doesn’t expand to belches. Acquiring a short middle reliever and another long man (Tonkin+) may be the solution.
AA is the smartest GM in baseball. A great guy on top of it.
To me it seems he’s focused on roster depth , pitching depth , deep farm , good fair contracts.
Depth depth depth
Elias also doing that.
Braves will definitely try to get another bullpen arm. It is a shame though because you have all those arms returning and you wouldn’t want to give up a lot for a rental reliever that may or not be utilized as much, when the others return. It is quite the conundrum.
Haha!! The day’s bell tolled against the Brewers.
Three up, three k’s.
And the W!