Atlanta Braves call up Peter Bourjos

The Atlanta Braves shuffled their bench again this afternoon and released a former top 100 prospect to make room on the roster.

Multiple sources report the Atlanta Braves selected the contract of Peter Bourjos from Gwinnett and sent Dustin Peterson back to AAA.

In order to create a spot on the 40-man roster, they released Aaron Blair.

Atlanta Braves outfield shuffle

Ronald Acuna’s injury left the Braves bench without a player capable of playing center field should Ender Inciarte be injured.  The braves’ decision to call up Peterson surprised many because his tools limit him to  corner outfield spot.

Turns out he wouldn’t have been called up at all had Bourjos been eligible but MLB rules prevented it.  Any player released by a team then signed again to a minor league deal may not play in the majors for 30 days after the date of his release. This prevents roster manipulation in order to keep specific players available.

Manager Brian Snitker‘s choice of Charlie Culberson in left field instead of Peterson for the last two games signaled Peterson was simply a place holder.

Bounce-back Bourjos

Bourjos first visit with Atlanta this year resulted in less than impressive results. In 27 PA he managed a pathetic .120/.185/.160/.345 line and his vaunted glove looked less than golden.

Bourjos signed back with the Braves on a minor league deal almost immediately and took up residence in Gwinnett. His AAA time produced significantly better results. In 100 PA with the Stripers, he hit  .278/.350/.522/.872, that amounts to a .384 wOBA and 145 wRC+.

Bye-bye Blair

The release of Aaron Blair came as a bit of a surprise. A fixture near the middle of all top 100 prospect lists in 2015 and 2016, Blair never managed to consistently produce at the major league level.

Some felt the Braves rushed him to the majors and stalled his progress. Disappointed at his showing, Blair worked hard on physical conditioning this winter and reported to camp looking like a new man.

He pitched like one as well during spring training and started the season at Gwinnett in order to prove he’d turned a corner. Unfortunately he had to leave  his first game in the third inning with shoulder pain. An MRI showed a torn shoulder capsule and Blair  had season ending shoulder surgery on April 17.

The Braves made it clear they will continue to pay for his treatment and rehab. That move makes it likely both parties agreed on the move and Blair will sign back with the team on a minor league deal .

That’s A Wrap

I noted the Braves lack of a backup center fielder in my initial post about the Acuna DL. If I’d been paying attention I’d have realized Bourjos wasn’t yet eligible to come back – I’ll try to stay awake in future. Bourjos is in Atlanta and available tonight but Preston Tucker gets the start.

Next: Here they come again

Some think Peterson got a raw deal with only a pair of plate appearances to show for his first trip. Watching his at bats live, I wonder if his swing will ever catchup with major league pitchers. He clearly needs more development time if for no other reason that to lower his ~28% AAA K rate.