Braves Switch Up Their Bullpen and Put Right-Hander on IL.

On Sunday, June 16, the Atlanta Braves made three roster changes impacting their pitching staff.
On Sunday, the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen will include a new pitcher. On June 16, David O’Brien of The Athletic reported that right-hander Grant Holmes had been selected by the Braves for the major league roster.

The Braves optioned left-hander Ray Kerr to Triple-A in a matching transaction. Huascar Ynoa, a right-handed reliever, was also placed on the 60-day injured list by the Braves due to a right elbow stress reaction.

Holmes is not a major league pitcher. But he has a 10-5 record and a 3.18 ERA over the last two seasons at Triple-A Gwinnett. In 102 innings, Holmes has also recorded 125 strikeouts and 17 saves.

In his 68 appearances since the beginning of 2023, he has primarily pitched out of the bullpen. However, he has also made three starts this season.
The 28-year-old’s minor league career has been at its finest throughout the last two seasons by a wide margin. In 2022, his Triple-A affiliate with the Oakland Athletics posted an 8.27 ERA.

Holmes has played in Triple-A for a portion of five seasons. He has a 5.57 career ERA at the level just below the majors, despite his success since 2023.

In the Braves bullpen, Holmes will take Kerr’s place. This season, Kerr has a 5.64 ERA, 1.612 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts. With 22.1 innings in just 10 outings this season, he has largely played the long-innings role out of the Braves bullpen.

Ynoa, on the other hand, is still dealing with injuries. He made just two starts in 2022 before being demoted to Triple-A, despite starting 17 games for the Braves during their 2021 World Series run. By the end of the 2022 season, Ynoa required Tommy John surgery once again.

As he healed from the surgery, he missed the entire year 2023. He had come back this season to start just three games at Gwinnett.