Atlanta Braves shuffle the roster for the last weekend

The Atlanta Braves sweep of the Phillies will allow the Braves to rest some players and reward some others this weekend.

Thanks to a key winning streak that has now reached six games, the Atlanta Braves will not have to play another “meaningful” baseball game until they begin their NL Division Series matchup in Milwaukee on Friday, October 8.

You may have just felt the collective sigh of relief from the team clubhouse… which has seen a lot of players working overtime to make this division title happen.

So now, the organization is going to rest some pitchers (especially), and maybe a few others as the Mets come to town tonight.

As first scooped by Talking Chop earlier today, here’s the first wave:

Dylan Lee was just added to the 40-man roster last weekend, though didn’t get into a game.  That will probably change this time ’round.

Likewise, there would be little point in promoting Spencer Strider onto the 40-man roster unless there was an intent to use him.

We talked about Lee when he got that call-up; but Strider’s story is equally compelling:

Strider was selected as the 126th overall draftee in 2020 (Round 4) out of Clemson, and the 6’0″ right-hander has been impressing coaches all year long, with stops at all 4 main minor league levels:

• Augusta:  15.1 innings, 0.59 ERA, striking out 32 and walking 5.  0.72 WHIP
• That clearly wasn’t sufficiently challenging, so he was bumped up to Rome:  14.2 innings, 2.45 ERA, 24K, 6 walks.  1.023 WHIP.
• Then came AA Mississippi:  63.0 innings, 4.71 ERA, 94K, 29BB.  1.222 WHIP.
• He made 21 starts all together at these levels.

As a reward for doing this much, Strider got a cameo appearance at Gwinnett… one game, one inning.

He struck out 3 batters and gave up 1 hit.

Now the major league team wants to see what he can do against the big boys.  It might be one game.  It might be only 4 innings or less, but when you have a pitcher who can throw 101 mph with command, you kinda want to see it for yourself.

New members of the Atlanta Braves, but how about the playoffs?

There is the logical question that follows:  are Lee and Strider eligible for the playoffs?

Eh…. kinda?

MLB has a strict set of rules about this… let’s see if I can paraphrase properly:

• If you are on the 40-man roster or the 60-day injured list before September begins in the Eastern Time Zone, then yes… you are post-season eligible.
• If you are in the organization — at any level — before September 1st and there’s a need to replace an injured player, any non-40 player can be added to the roster, provided that…
  • … The commissioner gives the okay
  • … The new player has been on the 40-man list before September started
  • … The new player is replacing someone at the same task-level (pitchers for a hurt pitcher; position players otherwise.
  • … The player being replaced has already spent the requisite number of days on the injured list that they are on (10 for the regular IL; 60 days for the extended list, etc.)

  So under certain circumstances, these pitchers could be made eligible, but that’s probably not the main purpose for their promotion this weekend.

  Regardless:  congratulations to both men as their major league debut’s are probably happening this weekend.