Braves fans tired of recent bullpen 'adventures' will love this Raisel Iglesias update

Just in time, because things were looking rough.

Eric Cole

Apr 14, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Raisel Iglesias (26) reacts to final out against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images / Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

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.

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.