The Braves have announced that they have fired a manager Maverick Handleywho had been on voluntary assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett. That opens up a 40-man roster spot Hurston Waldrepwho was returned to the 60-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A. Atlanta has also changed Carlos Carrasco and after appointing him for the job on Wednesday.
Waldrep was out for the rest of the season after having surgery to remove loose ligaments in his elbow at the start of Spring Training. The 2023 first-round pick entered camp as a rotation lock after posting a 2.88 earned run average in 56 1/3 innings. Waldrep’s injury was one of many Spring Training hits for Atlanta’s pitching staff. Spencer Schwellenbach he is yet to return from his elbow procedure. Spencer Strider started the year on the injured list, while Joey Wentz he tore his ACL.
The Braves have struggled to overcome those injuries. Chris Saleas expected, it was very good. Bryce Elder had an excellent mid-cycle stabilization season. Strider returned in early May. Grant Holmes again Martín Pérez they got decent results despite average batting and walking marks.
Atlanta has a stable five-man squad for now. They have already collided Reynaldo López in the barn. Rookie is good JR Ritchie again Didier Fuentes they are free again for the time being, the former after being recalled on Wednesday.
Waldrep figures to get that team out in the next few weeks. He recently began a conditioning assignment in the Florida facility before being moved to Double-A Columbus yesterday. He went 3 2/3 innings and threw 53 pitches. Waldrep was only two weeks into a potentially 30-day remedial assignment. It’s unclear why the Braves chose to add him to the 40-man roster just to continue building with Gwinnett.
The righty was paid MLB salary and overtime while on the 60-day injured list, even in a rehab assignment. That will no longer be the case while he is in Gwinnett. The savings to team pay are small, however, and there is no particular reason for length of service to be a factor. Waldrep had 103 days of MLB service entering the season. He has already surpassed the 69 days he needed to exceed the one-year limit.
Whatever the reason, Waldrep will likely bounce back sooner rather than later. He clearly has more upside than Holmes or Pérez at full strength. Waldrep will burn his third minor league option if he spends at least 20 days in Gwinnett, but the Braves are likely to be given a fourth option next season due to his limited career experience.
A procedural move pushed Handley down the list. Atlanta sued him a few weeks ago after the loss Sean Murphy again Drake Baldwin in injury. They immediately optioned him to Triple-A as a third baseman Sandy León again Chadwick Trump. After that the Braves traded Austin Wynns because Tromp.
They are still light on catching depth over the next few days, but Baldwin is set to begin rehab work tomorrow. Handley hasn’t provided any short-term insurance, having landed on the Triple-A injured list last week. If he clears waivers, he will become a free agent. The 28-year-old has spent his entire career in the Baltimore organization, appearing in 17 MLB games over the past two seasons.
