The Atlanta Braves continue to struggle as they find themselves down two games to one in their four-game series with the Washington Nationals. However, they can split the series today with a win before traveling to Baltimore to face a young and talent-packed Orioles ballclub.
Fans have been disappointed for most of the series with the Nationals as the offense has provided little to be excited about. In game two, Chris Sale had a stellar seven-inning performance but received zero run support.
Atlanta has relied heavily on their pitching depth since losing Spencer Strider for the season. It's been tough to nail down the fifth slot in the rotation but fans have gotten to see some budding prospects on the mound because of it.
Spencer Schwellenbach has looked good during his two starts so far. His second start was rougher than the first but it's easy to see why the Braves are excited for Spencer's future with the organization. He has a great pitch mix and looks like he belongs on a major league diamond.
Braves officially promote Hurston Waldrep to MLB club, option Daysbel Hernandez to the Gwinnett Stripers
The Braves continued this trend for fans as they announced another top pitching prospect will make his MLB debut Sunday afternoon. It was unofficially and surprisingly announced on Saturday that Waldrep would start the series finale against Washington. This comes after the talented right-hander was promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett just a week ago.
However, the team made it official Sunday morning that they selected Hurston Waldrep for the MLB roster. To make room for his spot on the roster, Atlanta optioned Daysbel Hernandez to Triple-A and transferred Ronald Acuña Jr. to the 60-day IL.
The #Braves today selected RHP Hurston Waldrep to the major league roster after optioning RHP Daysbel Hernández to Triple-A Gwinnett following yesterday’s game. To make room on the 40-man roster, OF Ronald Acuña Jr. was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 9, 2024
Hernandez was with the club for just a day after being recalled to replace Jimmy Herget who was added to the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation. The Braves pitching carousel continues but fans are excited to see Waldrep and his devastating splitter on display for his big league debut.
Atlanta's first-round pick from last season has impressed so far in 2024. He started the season with Double-A Mississippi and struggled a little early on but has locked things in since then.
On the season, Waldrep has a 3.09 ERA over 55.1 innings pitched with 18 walks and 59 strikeouts. The biggest thing that has plagued the Georgia native is his command but that's something Atlanta knew when they selected him.
His promotion was announced after a dominant performance with the Gwinnett Stripers where he walked one and struck out 11 batters. This performance came against an extremely talented Norfolk Tides team which features top MLB prospect Jackson Holliday.
Waldrep is excited to make his MLB debut and show exactly why the Braves think so highly of him. He will wear the number 30 which was previously worn by former Braves starter Kyle Wright. Fans will get a taste of their future while hoping to leave the Nation's capital with a win on getaway day.