After acquiring Brad Hand and Pierce Johnson at the trade deadline and getting A.J. Minter back from injury the Atlanta Braves are one step closer to getting more help in the bullpen.
It was announced on Friday afternoon that left-handed pitcher Dylan Lee will begin a rehab assignment this weekend.
Good news for the Braves: Dylan Lee is beginning a rehab assignment on Saturday. He’ll pitch for Triple-A Gwinnett.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 4, 2023
Lee was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 19th due to inflammation in his left shoulder. On June 30th, the Braves transferred him to the 60-day IL.
When healthy, Lee is a reliable option for Brian Snitker out of the pen. He is a versatile reliever who can get outs in high-leverage situations but can also go multiple innings if needed.
Lee has been solid in high-leverage situations in 2023. With 2 outs and runners in scoring position, hitters are 2 for 10 with 3 strikeouts. Even more impressive is his stats in "late and close" ball games.
In the 7th inning or later when the game is tied, a one-run game, or the opponnent has the tying run on deck, Lee's opponents only have 7 hits in 33 plate appearances.
Lee's overall numbers on the year across 20.1 innings pitched (20 appearances) include an ERA of 3.10 to go along with 23 strikeouts. His control does have room for improvement as he has walked 7 batters over that span. Outside of making sure he is healthy, his command on the mound will be something that is studied during his rehab starts.
Dylan Lee will also join A.J. Minter and Brad Hand as another southpaw out of the bullpen. This will be a luxury that Brian Snitker has not had in a long time. Between these three, Snitker will have options when matchups call for a left-handed pitcher in the late innings.
The Braves will be looking for Lee to add some stability that has been hard to come by in the Braves bullpen recently.