The Atlanta Braves have had one of the best relief cores for a majority of this season. It was one of the bright spots for Alex Anthopoulos this past offseason. Atlanta's relief core was one of the best in baseball right out of the gate. However, they've hit a bit of a rough patch lately. Some of that comes from some bad pitch choices, but also from missing one of their best arms.
Robert Suarez surprisingly went on the 15-day IL with a right elbow issue before the All-Star break. It was a tough blow to the bullpen as Suarez is one of the best in baseball. He has a 0.56 ERA, six walks, 26 strikeouts, and over 32 innings. That's an incredibly valuable arm to lose, and it puts pressure on the rest of the bullpen to pick up the slack.
The Braves need Robert Suarez back and quickly, because their bullpen is faltering
Unfortunately, those tasked to fill the void in Suarez's absence have been overworked as a result and have begun to struggle. Dylan Lee has played a huge part in his absence and has hit a rough patch. Lee has a 6.14 ERA over his last 7.1 innings with five runs, seven hits, one walk, and 11 strikeouts. The walk rate remains elite for Lee, but he hasn't been as good in high-leverage situations. His ERA has shot up in July after being nails during the first few months of the season.
Raisel Iglesias has also had some struggles since Suarez went down on the IL. Iggy has a 4.30 ERA over his last 14.2 innings pitched with four walks and 17 strikeouts. Again, amazing walk numbers, but he has struggled with putting opponents away at times.
Tyler Kinley has had to step into Suarez's normal spot more often. He hasn't really been the best pitcher, as indicated by his 9.00 ERA over his last seven appearances. He has four walks and five strikeouts over that span.
Despite some of their best arms faltering, Atlanta still has the third-best relief ERAs in baseball at 3.24. They also boast the fifth-fewest walks in baseball with 138 of them thus far. However, if they don't start getting a grasp on the struggles, things could spiral in a heartbeat. However, adding Suarez back would be a massive boost for them. They wouldn't have to put so much strain on the other arms in the pen. Unfortunately, the Braves haven't announced many updates on him.
There haven't been any real updates on Suarez, and that's a bit concerning. No one ever wants their star reliever to deal with elbow inflammation, but that's why the team would be cautious about rushing him back. They'll need him for the playoffs should the team get there.
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