The Braves spent Monday night’s loss to the Mets leaning hard on their bullpen, and by Tuesday they were making the kind of quick fixes that usually follow that sort of night. Didier Fuentes was shaky, Raisel Iglesias coughed up a save, and Owen Murphy had a rough introduction in his MLB debut. With no off day coming soon, Atlanta needed fresher arms, and it moved fast to get them.
Murphy was optioned back to Triple-A Gwinnett, Tyler Kinley was placed on the paternity list, and the Braves made room for two reinforcements: James Karinchak was recalled, and left-hander Connor Thomas was selected to the major league roster. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the club also released right-hander Daysbel Hernández.
The #Braves today selected LHP Connor Thomas to the major league roster and optioned RHP Owen Murphy to Triple-A Gwinnett. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club released RHP Daysbel Hernández. Atlanta also recalled RHP James Karinchak and placed RHP Tyler Kinley on the…
- Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 7, 2026
Murphy’s move back down shouldn’t be read as a knock on his long-term outlook. He’s been a starting pitching prospect throughout his career, and Atlanta simply needed him for emergency relief work. He threw 20 pitches, filled the short-term need, and now can return to starting games while he keeps building toward his eventual big league rotation chance.
Kinley’s absence is temporary, since the paternity list stint should be brief. Hernández’s departure is tougher news. He was once viewed as a very legitimate relief prospect and had shown flashes in the majors, but injuries have taken a toll on his stuff and left him vulnerable as a roster casualty for some time.
Karinchak is back in the mix, and there were plenty of fans who wanted that call-up sooner. The catch is that Atlanta does not want to use him on back-to-back days.
Thomas, meanwhile, gets a real opening to stick as a left-handed option in the bullpen. He has been sharp for Gwinnett this season, posting a 1.14 ERA in 23.2 innings across 10 appearances.
In Other News...
Braves Quietly Got Back A Bullpen Arm They May Desperately Need
For most of the season, Atlantas bullpen has looked like one of the clubs quiet advantages, but the last stretch has brought a little more unease. Raisel Iglesias has blown a save, Dylan Lee has had shaky outings and Didier Fuentes is nearing the break, which has made the relief picture feel less settled than it did a few weeks ago.
Into that mix comes Danny Young, the left-hander the Braves have quietly gotten back after his injury layoff. His early work this season has been encouraging enough to give Atlanta another option for mid-to-high-leverage spots against left-handed hitters, and perhaps a way to ease the load on some of the other arms that have been asked to carry more lately. The bigger question is how quickly the Braves lean into that role, and whether Young can turn a useful return into something more than just a temporary fix. [Read more 🡒]
Walt Weiss Decisions Just Cost The Braves A Game They Had Won
The Braves had enough offense to put themselves in position to win, but the game slipped into the kind of extra-inning mess that usually leaves a manager under the microscope. Atlanta scored six runs and still could not finish off the Mets, with the lineups missed chances and a thin bench leaving the club in a difficult spot once the game stretched beyond regulation.
Walt Weiss choices only made the margin for error smaller. The Braves were already navigating a less-than-ideal setup in extras, and the way the bullpen and lineup were handled became a major part of why a game that looked won turned into a loss, even before the final inning had fully played out. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Cant Afford Another Quiet Deadline From Alex Anthopoulos
With the trade deadline approaching, the Braves look like a club that cannot simply sit back and hope the rotation and outfield sort themselves out. ESPNs latest best-fit rundown had Atlanta attached to 17 of the top 25 deadline candidates, which is a pretty clear sign that the market sees a team with real needs and a front office that should be active. Starting pitching remains the obvious priority, and the list of names floating around ranges from Tarik Skubal and Joe Ryan to Sonny Gray, Reid Detmers, Casey Mize, Jose Soriano and Freddy Peralta.
The outfield search is a little murkier, with Taylor Ward looking like the most realistic target if Atlanta wants to add a bat without emptying the system. Shortstop is another area worth watching, but the price tag on the top names would be steep enough to make any deal complicated fast. For Alex Anthopoulos, the pressure is less about making a splash than avoiding another deadline that leaves the roster looking almost exactly the same when the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]