Atlanta Braves Reinforce Rotation and Bullpen Ahead of All-Star Break
The Atlanta Braves optioned outfielder Austin Cox in exchange for calling up right-handed pitcher Davis Daniel from Triple-A Gwinnett to start the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. After a brief debut in April during which he pitched a scoreless inning, this is Daniel's second stint with the Major League team this season. The Braves have chosen to sign reliever Wander Suero, who has been excellent at Triple-A with a 1.50 ERA and 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings, in addition to strengthening the rotation. In an attempt to bolster the pitching staff before the All-Star Break, the organization designated Michael Petersen for assignment and optioned Daysbel Hernández to create space.
Suero gives the Braves' bullpen a much-needed lift, along with experience and poise. This season, Suero, a seasoned reliever with more than 190 Major League appearances, has been outstanding at Triple-A, recording a 1.50 ERA and an astounding 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings. He is effective in the middle and late innings because he uses a deceptive delivery and a good cutter-changeup combination to keep batters off balance. Suero's arrival might offer much-needed steadiness to the Braves’ bullpen, which has been erratic and overworked, particularly as they deal with injuries and close games in the final stretch. He has the ability to develop into a dependable late-inning option if he can duplicate his minor league performance.
As the Braves deal with injuries and roster changes, Daniel gives their pitching staff much-needed steadiness and depth. Daniel, who is well-known for his strong command and four-pitch mix, has pitched well at Triple-A this season, recording a 3.52 ERA over 76 and two-thirds innings with a respectable strikeout rate and few walks. Despite not being a power arm, he is excellent at throwing hitters off balance with a mature mound presence and a polished approach. With a number of important arms on the injured list, Atlanta may find its ability to limit damage and consume innings useful as it tries to remain competitive over the second half of the season.
It is unlikely that the Braves will suffer any immediate consequences from dropping Cox to make way for Daniel. Cox, a depth outfielder who hasn't had much of an effect in the major leagues thus far, hasn't been a reliable member of the Braves' lineup and has mostly alternated between Triple-A and the majors this season. Daniel, on the other hand, fills a more pressing need in the rotation, particularly given the ailments and inconsistent performance of starting pitchers. The Braves are banking that strengthening the pitching staff, particularly before the All-Star Break, is the more important goal, and Daniel's current form makes that a reasonable decision, even though losing positional depth can be concerning.
These two recent call-ups indicate that the Braves are shifting their focus to filling short-term gaps while continuing to monitor long-term stability. Given the frequent injuries to important starters, Daniel has the ability to steady the back end of the rotation and, if he does well, could be given a more permanent position. Suero's Triple-A stats and seasoned experience should help stabilize a bullpen that has been overworked. These changes are prudent, low-risk choices to keep the Braves competitive in the second half of the season, even though they don't significantly change the team's long-term trajectory. The Braves still have a good opportunity to compete for a postseason berth if these additions make consistent contributions and injured players recover.
