By the numbers, the Atlanta Braves have had one of the best bullpens in MLB this season. As of Sunday, Braves' relievers ranked third in fWAR behind just the Blue Jays and Padres, and their collective 3.15 ERA also ranks third, this time with only the Rangers and Giants being better. However, a closer examination raises some cause for concern, but help is on the way.
While the Braves did trim some of the bullpen fat with Joel Payamps clearing waivers and heading to the minors and Jose Suarez being DFA'd, two of the more suspect relievers, anyone who has watched Aaron Bummer and Tyler Kinley pitch lately has been treated to some truly adventurous outings, including some that could have cost the Braves games if the offense wasn't so hot.
Thankfully, help is on the way. After Atlanta's convincing 11-6 win to sweep the Rockies, which also featured a couple of troubling bullpen appearances, manager Walt Weiss spoke to the media and revealed that Raisel Iglesias should be activated on Tuesday.
Walt Weiss says after the game that closer Raisel Iglesis should be activated Tuesday
— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) May 3, 2026
Raisel Iglesias set to be activated Tuesday as Braves' bullpen tries to hang on in his absence
This Braves bullpen really needs some support, so the timing of Iglesias' activation is almost perfect. Atlanta hasn't had a day off since last Monday, and there have been some longer bullpen outings along the way. Iglesias' shoulder injury forced Weiss to use some guys more often than he would like and in situations he normally wouldn't.
Once Iglesias is back, that changes dramatically. Iglesias can close most games with Robert Suarez, who has been awesome, chipping in while mostly being a shut-down setup guy and closer heir apparent. Kinley can move into lower leverage situations while he gets right. And hopefully, for all of our sanity, Bummer will either make a big adjustment or pitch as little as is humanly possible.
The Braves travel to Seattle next, and that first game on Monday could be dicey after using Dylan Lee on back-to-back days and using five relievers on Sunday. However, if they can get through that game mostly unscathed (cross your fingers for a strong start from JR Ritchie), it looks like normalcy will return along with Iglesias.
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