The Braves acquired Ynoa in the deal that sent Jaime García and Anthony Recker to Minnesota at the trade deadline in 2017. He made a brief appearance in 2019 and appeared in nine games during the 2020 tournament.
He started 2021 with a 2.23 ERA in his first eight games, but after giving up five runs over 4 1/3 innings in his next outing, he had a minor tantrum and punched the wall. The injury to his hand sent him to the IL until the middle of August. He threw 46 1/3 innings in nine starts after returning, but his ERA spiked to 5.05 in those games, and a shoulder injury ended his season.
Comeback attempt hits a roadblock
Ynoa struggled in two starts in April 2022, posting a 13.50 ERA over 6 2/3 innings, and the Braves sent him to Gwinnett to work things out. He was recalled for three days in August without making an appearance and ultimately had UCL replacement surgery on September 9 and missed all of the 2023 season.
He experienced some soreness this spring, causing the Braves to back off his rehab schedule and send him back to AAA to continue working his way back. Ynoa showed signs he was improving, throwing four scoreless innings in his first start.
He stumbled in the second start, giving up six in 1 2/3 IP, but bounced back on April 14, allowing one run in four innings of his third start. However, he reported soreness in his elbow before his next start, and the Stripers placed him on the Minor League IL. The Stripers didn’t activate Ynoa today, so his elbow is still barking.
That’s a Wrap
Ynoa’s bright start to 2021 gave fans hope that he’d be on the roster for a long time, but it wasn’t to be. It’s too early to know how long he’ll be out, but it’s better to stay out until it’s healed than to rush back and suffer a major setback.
The staff here at The House That Hank Built wish him a speedy recovery and return to Atlanta.