Latest roster move could signal the end for one pitcher’s time in Atlanta
The Atlanta Braves made several roster moves on Sunday morning.
On Sunday morning, the Atlanta Braves announced they had sent left-handed pitcher Ray Kerr to Gwinnett and added Grant Holmes to the major league roster. To make room for Holmes on the 40-man roster, the Braves recalled Huascar Ynoa from Gwinnett and placed him on the 60-day IL.
The #Braves today selected RHP Grant Holmes to the major league roster. The club also recalled RHP Huascar Ynoa to Atlanta and placed him on the 60-day injured list with a right elbow stress reaction. LHP Ray Kerr was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett following yesterday’s game.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 16, 2024
Ynoa played a key role on the Braves in 2021, starting 17 games in 2021. The bulk of his success came in the first half of that season, as he had a 3.02 ERA in eight starts (nine games) before breaking his hand in Milwaukee after a rough start.
Ynoa came back in 2021 and started nine more games, but only pitched one game that postseason. In 2022, he only pitched two games in the bigs and then went down with a UCL injury that required Tommy John.
This year, Ynoa started the season in Gwinnett but hasn't pitched since April, when he left his third start of the season with elbow soreness. With Ynoa on the 60-day IL, the earliest he could return is August 14, and it's likely the Braves won't use him at the major league level at all.
What to expect from Grant Holmes
Grant Holmes was drafted in the first round in 2014 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a top 100 prospect in 2015, 2016, and 2017, but he never found the success the Dodgers, and later the Oakland Athletics hoped for.
Holmes pitched in the A's organization until 2022 when he was released in July. The Braves signed him soon after, but he only pitched three games in the organization in 2022.
The 28-year-old has spent the last two years in Gwinnett, with a 3.18 ERA across 102 innings across the two seasons. Holmes has started three games this years and can offer the Braves multiple innings.
Holmes throws four pitches. His fastball averages 95.1 MPH, which he throws 44.1% of the time. He also throws a slider, curve, and cutter.
This season he's struck out 30.4% of batters he's faced while walking 8.9% of batters.
This is Holmes first time on an MLB roster, so after ten years in the minors, the former top first rounder will finally get his shot in the bigs.