The Braves have gone back to Jim Jarvis, and that says plenty about how unsettled things have been at shortstop.
Atlanta recalled the infielder from Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday and designated first baseman Rowdy Tellez for assignment, a roster move that follows another quiet night from Jorge Mateo, who went 0-for-3. Over the last month, shortstop production has been a problem whenever Mauricio Dubón hasn’t been in the lineup there, and June was especially rough for both Ha-Seong Kim and Mateo.
Jarvis, 25, got his first look with the Braves in May when the club needed another infielder because Mateo was dealing with a thumb injury. At the time, Jarvis was swinging it well - he had posted a .305/.418/.445 line - and his promotion came on the strength of the bat, not just the need. Atlanta only gave him two games before sending him back down once Mateo was healthy again.
This time, Jarvis is back with a little more momentum behind him. His season OPS sits at .866, which is actually a touch better than it was when he first reached the majors.
He still doesn’t look like a player projection systems love at the big-league level, but he’s clearly made real progress over the past year. The Braves got him from the Tigers at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for Rafael Montero, and he’s already beaten expectations once.
The opportunity in front of him looks real, too. While Atlanta chose to keep Kim on the roster and move on from Tellez, Walt Weiss is expected to lean on Jarvis in the coming weeks over both Kim and Mateo. Mark Bowman of MLB already reported that the 25-year-old will start against the Cardinals on Thursday.
Tellez’s time in Atlanta was short and not especially crowded. He picked up two hits, including one homer, but there simply wasn’t much room for him with Matt Olson at first base and Dominic Smith at designated hitter. Even though he spent more than 20 days on the active roster, he made just one start and finished with 11 plate appearances.
In Other News...
Braves Just Made Another Telling Move As Offensive Frustration Grows
As the Braves keep searching for a steadier offensive mix amid injuries and uneven production, they made another low-risk depth move by adding Andrew McCutchen on a minor league deal after his release from the Rangers. The veteran outfielder and designated hitter is a familiar name with a long track record, and Atlanta is evidently willing to see whether there is still something useful left in the bat as the lineup tries to settle down.
McCutchens arrival came alongside a separate roster shuffle that also brought INF Jim Jarvis back into the picture and sent INF Rowdy Tellez off the active roster. It is the kind of transaction that says plenty about where the Braves are right now: still looking for answers, still testing options, and still trying to find a combination that can ease the frustration building around the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Find One Reason For Hope In Another Costly Loss
The Braves latest trip through a rough stretch ended with an 11-5 loss to the Cardinals, their 14th defeat in 19 games, and the familiar problem areas showed up again. The bullpen was stretched thin before the game even began, with Raisel Iglesias and Dylan Dodd having pitched the previous two nights and Robert Suarez still sidelined until after the All-Star break, leaving Atlanta to piece together innings in a hurry.
Hurston Waldrep provided the one encouraging note from the night. In his second big league appearance and first start of the season, he was tagged early but settled in enough to give the Braves something to build on, even if the outing still came with an early mistake that changed the tone. For a club searching for any sign of stability, Waldreps ability to recover may have mattered more than the final score, even as the larger issues kept piling up around him. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Bullpen Shakeup Raises Another Big Question About Late Innings
The Braves kept tinkering with their bullpen mix Wednesday, activating left-hander Danny Young from the 60-day injured list and bringing back right-hander Anthony Molina as they continue to sort through the late-inning picture. Youngs return gives Atlanta another left-handed option after a long rehab stretch, while Molina is back for another look as the club tries to find steadier coverage out of the pen.
The moves came with a cost, as Ian Hamilton was designated for assignment after a rough run of recent outings, and this is his second such move of the season. Atlanta also had to clear another roster spot for Molina, a reminder that every bullpen adjustment now seems to carry a second question about who gets squeezed out next. [Read more 🡒]