The Atlanta Braves' bullpen had a night to forget on Tuesday as the Cardinals were able to pull away late in the game. Bullpen games are always a bit of gamble, but last night was a reminder that there have been consequences for the Braves this season for neglecting the bullpen during the offseason.
Atlanta does seem to have some useful relief pieces and one has to think that Raisel Iglesias will eventually turn things around. However, there are a number of guys getting real innings out of the bullpen right now that frankly shouldn't be getting the time a day from a team with actual playoff aspirations like the Braves.
Clearly the Braves know that they need to make some changes and one such move came early on Wednesday as Atlanta brought back Jesse Chavez again from the minor leagues yet again. Nathan Wiles heading back to Gwinnett was the corresponding roster move and Nacho Alvarez Jr. was moved to the 60-day IL to free up a 40-man roster spot.
Braves looking to try Jesse Chavez out in the bullpen once again
At this point, it would be weird if there wasn't a roster move once a month that involved Chavez in some form or fashion. He is in the twilight of his career, probably only has a shot at being good while wearing a Braves uniform, and almost certainly has a small basement apartment right at Truist Park. There is reason to think that Chavez may actually be done as a productive reliever, but reason has little to do with his career up until now. Just embrace that he is back and enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Alvarez getting shifted to the 60-day IL is pretty interesting. With the turmoil at shortstop with the Braves, Nacho had a real shot to push for some playing time in 2025. It was already known from camp that he was dealing with a wrist issue, but there was a lot of optimism at the time that it was going to be a short-term problem. Now, there isn't even a chance we see him play anywhere at all until the summer.
As for Wiles, he was the easy choice to send down. He threw last night in his MLB debut and got shelled, but could end up being a serviceable spot starter or bullpen arm in a pinch. He goes back to Gwinnett to continue building on the nice start to his minor league season.