Aug 6: Guthrie has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A, as noted by Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Going forward, Guthrie figures to provide the Braves with solid depth in the minor leagues as a utility option with previous big league success (albeit in a small sample) and solid defensive versatility.
Aug 4: The Braves announced this morning that the club had designated outfielder Dalton Guthrie for assignment. Guthrie’s spot on the 40-man roster will go to left-hander Max Fried, who was activated from the 60-day injured list this morning.
Guthrie, 27, made his major league debut with the Phillies last year but has bounced around multiple organizations this season. He was first DFA’d by the Phillies back in June after posting a meager .167/.286/.208 slash line in 23 games at the big league level for Philadelphia this season. He was then swapped to San Francisco in a cash deal shortly thereafter, though he spent only nine games in the organization before being designated a second time and claimed off waivers by Atlanta. His tenure in the Braves organization now seems likely to come to an end after a similarly short ten-game stint in Triple-A with the club.
Overall, Guthrie sports a career slash line of .244/.393/.333 with a 25% strikeout rate and a 16% walk rate in the major leagues, though those numbers come from a sample of just 56 trips to the plate. In more robust sample size of 694 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, Guthrie has posted a .296/.359/.455 triple slash with a 20% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate. In addition to his solid bat, Guthrie offers valuable versatility, with considerable experience at second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield spots.
All of that makes it seems fairly likely that Guthrie will be once again claimed on waivers by a club with 40-man roster space and an interest in adding an optionable utility piece to their big league bench or minor league system. That being said, if Guthrie does go unclaimed on waivers, the Braves will have the ability to assign Guthrie to the minors outright, retaining him in the organization through the end of the season without requiring a 40-man roster spot.
Guthrie’s exit from the organization makes way for Fried to return from the injured list ahead of his planned start this afternoon against the Cubs. The runner-up in NL Cy Young award voting last year, Fried is on the shortlist of the game’s best left-handed starting pitchers with a career 3.05 ERA and 3.29 FIP in 658 1/3 innings. He’s missed nearly the entire season due to a forearm strain, with just five starts under his belt to this point in the season, though he did manage to post a sparkling 2.08 ERA in those 26 innings of work.
Fried’s absence has forced the Braves to piece together production from a bevy of young arms including Jared Shuster, Dylan Dodd, and AJ Smith-Shawver, as well as veteran arms like Kolby Allard, Michael Soroka and Yonny Chirinos. That group has largely struggled, with Smith-Shawver’s 4.57 ERA the only figure among them that clocks in under 5.00, but that hasn’t stopped the Braves from storming to an MLB-best record of 69-37. Fried’s return to the rotation alongside the likes of Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton, and Bryce Elder should only bolster the club’s chances of holding their already-significant 11.5 game lead in the NL East.
Braves Butt-Head
I didn’t even know that guy was in the 40 man
Hemlock
The Braves claimed him only about 3 weeks ago.
Hemlock
Today:
Max Fried P
IP H R ER BB K HR P ERA
6.0 3 0 0 0 8 0 72 1.69
whocaresaboutRBI
Seems good lol
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
Mild Mannered Max is back! Even though Atl is way in front of the division, starting pitching is a concern. Two 24 year olds & a 39 year old have taken the reigns. We need Max, he makes BB better. The present starters are tiring, Kyle?
bhambrave
Maybe Guthrie will get claimed and get a MLB opportunity.
Braves Butt-Head
I would like to find out updates on Dylan Lee, Jesse Chavez and Kyle Wright as well
braves25
Dylan Lee was scheduled to pitch batting practice on Tuesday and is scheduled to start his rehab assignment this weekend.
As of last week Kyle Wright was beginning to pitch of the mound. They are hoping he is ready to start his rehab assignment in a couple weeks and come back early September.
I’m not sure about Chavez. A week or 2 ago he was still walking with a limp.
Braves Butt-Head
He has to have had a microfracture for him to have a limp 2 months after the fact. Charlie Morton pitched after taking it off the shin and breaking his leg and Jesse went down like he got shot but doesn’t have a break.
I Like Big Bunts
We get it. You’re impotent.
Braves Butt-Head
Yep and you have your girlfriend as your profile pic
richardc
Lol good one @BBH…
Thank you for the laugh…Nice comeback, well played sir …
Way to shut that troll down
getrealgone2
Chavez is just now able to put a lot of pressure on his leg. He might not be ready for awhile.
Captain-Judge99
Just wondering is Dalton Guthrie, Mark Guthrie’s son?
Hemlock
Yes
His son, Dalton Guthrie, played college baseball at the University of Florida, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, made his major league debut in 2022 with the Phillies, and in 2023 was traded to the San Francisco Giants.
bhambrave
@Captain: Yes, according to Wikipedia
bhambrave
Even though those six #5 pitchers had elevated ERA’s, they still registered a collective 10-5 record. #5 pitchers dig the long ball.
LostRealist
Correction for the author: Yonny Chirinos has a 4.42 ERA.
braves25
That is his era for the season, but his 2 starts for the Braves have resulted in an era of 7.27.
So the author is correct
Slider_withcheese
A nice welcome awaits pitching to a team that has scored over 100 runs in their last 10 games. What a dumb move.
braves25
Well streaks are made to be broken!!! Winning streaks, lossin streaks, strikeout streaks, hr streaks, scoring streaks, and shutout streaks all come to an end at some point.
The Cubs have been very hot of late, that is for sure though
TheDP
That did not age very well now, did it ???
braves25
Looks like a great move!
Fried 6 shutout innings 3 hits 8 k’s
Braves_saints_celts
You going to respond to anyone after your trolling went wrong?
Slider_withcheese
As one of the most successful social media influencers in the country, I cannot respond to everyone. It’s just not possible. Surely you understand.
Braves_saints_celts
Just own up to your bs. Surely that’s not hard and you understand that.
Slider_withcheese
I’m busy watching Elder get smashed around. Will get back to you eventually
Braves_saints_celts
Stuff happens but that has nothing to do with your statement about fried and yesterday’s game. Either way the cubs won’t even make the playoffs so enjoy your participation trophy (we beat the braves in August) because the braves will actually be there with the top record in the league. So have a good one.
vtadave
Typical post of yours that aged poorly.
Cohn Joppolella
He should release a country album.
Rishi
I would expect Smith-Shawver to be a pen piece in the postseason. Chirinos is likely the guy many of the starts will go to when needed. Of the list, Shuster was relatively respectable run prevention wise for a good chunk of that time. Allard was pretty solid except for a bullpen appearance and a start in which he was hurt, but we are talking very small sample.The rest have been bad. Soroka can’t locate this year, most of the time. Without Fried the team was an injury away from a likely disappointing postseason. Wright would sure help, but it’s expecting a lot. He’s got to stay healthy and get back to form. Morton is so streaky the last couple of years I really wouldn’t want to depend on him during postseason, though he could be very good
braves25
@Rishi
With the bullpen starting to get healthy again, Minter is back and Lee starts his rehab assignment Saturday idk if there is room for AJSS in the bullpen.
They will go with 4 starters and 9 bullpen guys in the playoffs.
Sp- Fried, Strider, Morton, and Elder
Bullpen-
Iglesias
Minter
Lee
Jimenez
McHugh
Yates
Then some combination of Johnson, Hand, Tonkin, Chirinois, Chavez, and if Anderson or Wright can return.
Braves_saints_celts
I would probably put one of them over McHugh in the postseason.
Slow day at work
I’m not sure if McHugh makes it.
Rishi
I don’t think McHugh makes it either. There are likely injuries that will occur and who knows for sure if those guys returning will make it back for good. My point is his arm is electric and only plays up in a shorter stretch. If given some time down the stretch to get used to the bullpen he could take that path like many other future starters have in the past (I assume there’s an innings limit anyway so he could be converted for the rest of the season soon).Everyone in that group has been streaky at times so it’s really just a matter of whose hot. I imagine Tonkin is nearly a lock given his effectiveness and ability to pitch multiple innings. Yates is about the best they have, after his rough start to 2023.