Injuries seem to be all too common anymore for the Atlanta Braves. The latest casualty to the plague of Tommy John surgery is left-handed pitcher Ray Kerr. The Braves announced the Kerr update before the series kicked off against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night. Kerr was optioned back to Triple-A Gwinnett on June 15 after making his last appearance against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Help Could Be On The Way For Injured Braves
The #Braves have placed LHP Ray Kerr on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow UCL injury, effective June 16, and voided his option to Triple-A Gwinnett on June 15.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 24, 2024
In that appearance, he pitched one inning, allowing two hits, three walks, and an earned run. When Kerr returned to Gwinnett, he complained of elbow pain and ended up not throwing a pitch. The 29-year-old southpaw ended up posting some underwhelming numbers overall for the season: a 5.64 ERA over 22 and a third innings, with 27 strikeouts and a 1.61 WHIP.
Kerr was regarded as a hard-throwing left-hander who could pitch one to three innings if necessary. At one point this season, the Braves considered making him a starting pitcher to help in a six-man rotation. Kerr was given the opportunity to start twice this season for Atlanta and caught the loss both times. Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves front office saw something they liked in Kerr this past off-season. They are having to absorb four million dollars of Matt Carpenter’s five and a half million dollars owed, from a trade with the San Diego Padres. Kerr will remain on the 40-man roster, currently only being placed on the 15-day injured list. However, if a spot is needed, they can transfer him to the 60-day injured list.
State Of The Rotation And Bullpen
With the Braves’ injuries to their bullpen and starting rotation, they’ve also had performance issues. Atlanta is still trying to secure a fifth starter in the rotation and seems to be looking for answers with Charlie Morton. The 40-year-old veteran has not strung together consistent performances this year, posting a 4.20 ERA so far this season. He has also allowed 40 runs in 79.1 innings. Thankfully, the Braves have benefited from the resurgence of Chris Sale and Reynaldo López. Max Fried is also back to being a frontline ace, going 5-2 with a 2.09 ERA in his last eight starts. Atlanta’s current team ERA is 3.60, which ranks eighth in all of baseball. With the bullpen ERA at 3.21, they trail only the Cleveland Guardians and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Lowest ERA by a @Braves pitcher through 13 starts of a season:
Greg Maddux (1994) – 1.41
Reynaldo López (2024) – 1.57 pic.twitter.com/ilZQOg58yS— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 25, 2024
Pitching has definitely been the strength of the Atlanta Braves this season, and it has the potential to be even better with some important names making a return.
Help is on the horizon.
With Ray Kerr going down, he was an option to be called back up at any time, as the Braves needed a left-handed option. More positive news is that veteran lefty A.J. Minter could be joining back soon. Minter went onto the 15-day injured list with left hip inflammation on May 30. He began his rehab assignment this past Saturday in High-A Rome, where he tossed one inning with three strikeouts. Atlanta moved his assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, and if all goes well, we could see Minter back in the Braves bullpen soon. Brian Snitker said, “Yeah, I mean we’ll just see how he feels the day (after).” Minter had a 2.95 ERA in 21 and third innings across 25 appearances before hitting the injured list.
Another arm that could be back after the All-Star break is once-postseason hero Ian Anderson. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2023, Anderson has made strides in his return to the big leagues. On June 18th, he made his first start for the FCL Braves, tossing two hitless innings. He faced six batters and struck out four of them.
His second start was on June 24th, when he went three innings with three hits, three strikeouts, and one run allowed. After his outing on Monday, the Braves are now sending Anderson to High-A Rome to continue his rehab program. With the fifth starter job still not secured by anyone that Atlanta has put in there, the Braves can be hopeful that they are going to get someone back who could potentially take that spot. Ian Anderson has a great postseason track record, as he is 4-0 in eight appearances, posting a 1.26 ERA.
Candidates On The Chopping Block
There is some not-so-exciting news for players already on the big league roster. Three pitchers could be sent back down to Triple-A after everything is said and done: Daysbel Hernandez, Grant Holmes, and Spencer Schwellenbach. Hernandez or Holmes should be sent back down soon after A.J. Minter completes his rehab assignment. With Holmes likely facing the axe, his story of finally making his big-league debut after 10 years in the minors won’t be enough to keep him around. Both men have pitched well enough to make a case to stay; however, both of them are right-handed pitchers. Atlanta currently only has two left-handed pitchers on the roster: Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer. Holmes has less big-league experience than Hernandez, which should be enough for Atlanta to make a decision.
Spencer Schwellenbach could also be another one sent back to Triple-A, assuming Ian Anderson doesn’t have any setbacks. The 24-year-old has shown flashes of potential this season, with his best start coming against the high-flying Baltimore Orioles recently. The Braves’ number three prospect could use more time to develop with Hurston Waldrep in Triple-A. Next year could be his time to solidify a rotation spot, with the looming free agency of Max Fried and Charlie Morton’s inevitable retirement.
Main Photo Credits: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
