The Braves have reached the point where the bullpen hierarchy is getting harder to ignore, and Danny Young is sitting right in the middle of that conversation.
Young’s recent stretch has been rough enough to make the case for a change on its own. Entering Saturday, he was carrying a 6.10 ERA and a 6.38 FIP, and then he added another homer allowed against the Yankees. That marked three straight appearances with runs on his line, and at this stage there’s little in the numbers to suggest a turnaround is right around the corner.
That opens the door for someone else, and Atlanta already has a left-handed option in the pipeline who looks ready for a real look. Ray Kerr, a name plenty of Braves fans may not have thought about in a while, has been working his way back after a long injury layoff.
Kerr was acquired from the Padres in 2023, but his Braves tenure has mostly been defined by what he hasn’t been able to do because of health issues. He threw a little more than 22 innings for Atlanta in 2024 and posted a 4.42 FIP before an elbow injury ended his season. He later had Tommy John surgery in June 2024 and spent the entire 2025 season rehabbing.
This year has been all about the climb back. Kerr has been making rehab appearances across every level of the Braves’ minor league system, and his latest outing for Triple-A Gwinnett was the kind of performance that forces attention. On Thursday, he worked 1.1 innings, struck out two, and didn’t allow a baserunner.
That’s the sort of swing-and-miss profile that has always made Kerr interesting as a lefty relief option, and it lands at the perfect time for Atlanta. The Braves have already cycled through James Karinchak, Aaron Bummer, Joel Payamps, and possibly Young while trying to find a reliever who can hold down the final bullpen spot. With that door still open, Kerr looks like a logical next chance.
In Other News...
Braves Face 2 Contract Calls That Could Shape Their Next Core
The Braves are already staring at a familiar kind of roster puzzle, the sort that can quietly shape a contenders future long before free agency actually arrives. With several core pieces set to hit the market after the 2026 season, the front office has to decide which players are worth betting on now, while their value is still clearer and their cost is still manageable.
Two names sit near the center of that conversation in Atlanta: Raisel Iglesias and Mauricio Dubon. Both fit the kind of practical, high-use profile that winning teams tend to keep around, and the next stretch will go a long way toward determining whether the Braves treat them as part of the next core or simply two more pieces in a crowded roster picture. There is also a harder edge to the same discussion, because not every expensive or familiar name deserves the same treatment, and the decisions on the margins could matter just as much as the headline moves. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Riley Explains What Sparked His Turnaround At The Plate
Austin Rileys recent progress at the plate has not come out of nowhere. The Braves third baseman said the turnaround has been tied to swing adjustments and steady guidance from hitting coaches Tim Hyers and Darnell Coles, along with the confidence he has felt from manager Walt Weiss. Riley also pointed to the importance of staying healthy through targeted training, while crediting his family for helping him get through what has been a long season.
What makes the stretch more interesting is the mindset behind it. Riley has talked about the value of focusing on what he can do now instead of trying to relive past production, a shift that can be just as important as any mechanical tweak. In a season where every small offensive spark matters, the Braves have reason to keep watching whether this version of Riley can keep building on the gains he has found. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Need A Different Outfield Answer Than Mike Yastrzemski
The Braves went into the Mike Yastrzemski addition expecting a clean platoon fit, but Jurickson Profars suspension quickly pushed him into a more regular outfield role. Since then, the mix has been less settled than the club probably hoped, with Yastrzemski and Dom Smith both scuffling enough to keep the front office and coaching staff looking at other ways to stabilize the spot.
One name that keeps coming up is Patrick Clohisy, whose rise through Double-A and Triple-A has been built on more than just bat-to-ball skill. He has shown the kind of defense and base-running pop that could make him useful even before the hitting fully translates, and the Braves need for more speed on the bases only adds to the appeal of giving him a look sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]