The Atlanta Braves have to be scratching their heads right now. Despite taking an early 5-3 lead over the Cardinals in the first inning, the bullpen collapsed in the seventh inning. Atlanta ended up losing that game by an 11-5 final.
Despite hoping that July would treat them better, the Braves continue to spiral out of control. There doesn't seem to be an end in sight to the woes. Naturally, after a devastating loss, there are corresponding moves to be made. Atlanta announced those moves on Friday morning ahead of a series with the Mets.
Ian Hamilton was unsurprisingly designated for assignment after his poor showing. Right-hander James Karinchak was also optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Karinchak was a bit surprising, as he really has pitched well when called upon. However, the team clearly thinks he cannot handle pitching in back-to-back days. That's likely the reason they decided to send him down.
The #Braves today recalled RHP Anthony Molina to Atlanta after optioning RHP James Karinchak to Triple-A Gwinnett following last night’s game. The club also returned LHP Danny Young from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list, and designated RHP…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 3, 2026
Braves DFA Ian Hamilton and option James Karinchak in latest roster shuffle
The corresponding moves added a lefty and righty to the bullpen. RHP Anthony Molina was called up from the minors, and LHP Danny Young was returned from his rehab assignment. Molina has had a couple of stints with the big league club this season. He's appeared in three games over five innings with a 5.40 ERA. That's not much of an improvement over what the team has been getting, but he's a fresh arm for now.
Young was an offseason acquisition by the Braves and signed on a split contract. He has been recovering from elbow surgery and is finally ready to return. Young has spent some time with the Braves during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, so there's some familiarity there.
Young could be a very good addition to the bullpen, but there's a chance it could be another dud for Atlanta. The southpaw has a career 4.01 ERA, a 29 percent strikeout rate, and a 9.3 percent walk rate over 60.2 innings. His first shot at big league action in a couple of years will come against his former club.
Atlanta isn't in an ideal situation right now, but these are the kind of moves that help get through the grind of a 162-game season. Hopefully, better days are on the horizon.
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