The Braves are trying to steady themselves after a rough run that has seen them drop seven of their last nine, and the latest roster move brings back a familiar face with a built-in storyline.
Atlanta has recalled Brewer Hicklen as the additional player for the Little League Classic against the Milwaukee Brewers, giving the outfielder another shot in the majors after first joining the club in July. The Braves announced the move by saying, “The Braves today appointed OF Brewer Hicklen as the additional player for the Little League Classic against the Milwaukee Brewers,”
Hicklen’s path to Atlanta has been a long one. The nine-year minor league veteran came up when the Braves needed a replacement for Yastrzemski, and AJC.com’s Chad Bishop noted that Hicklen was hitting .300 with 16 home runs and 55 runs driven in this season at Triple-A Gwinnett. Bishop also wrote that Hicklen made his MLB debut for the Royals in 2022 and has since appeared for the Brewers and Tigers at the big league level.
What made Hicklen such a quick fan favorite was more than just the opportunity itself. He grew up in Alabama as a Braves fan, so getting another major league chance with Atlanta carried extra weight.
Hicklen put that feeling plainly: “It's such a blessing. I just think back to the journey that it's taken to get here… I really can't put into words how thankful I am for the Braves organization… As a kid, growing up in Alabama, there's nothing more I wanted in life than to play for the Atlanta Braves,” Hicklen said.
That kind of reaction fits the player. Hicklen has spent most of his career grinding away in the minors, waiting for the next opening and making the most of it when it arrives. Whether this stay ends after one day or lasts longer, the Braves now have a player who has already shown he’ll embrace the moment.
And the timing is interesting, too. Hicklen gets a chance to face one of his former teams in the Brewers while Atlanta looks for anything that can help it stop the slide. For a club searching for traction, a player like Hicklen - appreciative, battle-tested, and eager for every inning - at least gives them a fresh jolt.
In Other News...
Former Braves Outfielder Is Already Making Atlantas Deadline Trade Sting
The Braves did not get much back in the moment when they sent Eli White to Boston before the trade deadline, but the move is looking a little sharper on the other side already. White has slipped into a useful role with the Red Sox, and in a recent comeback win over the Giants, he helped tilt the game by driving in a run and later scoring the winning run in the ninth inning.
For Atlanta, that kind of quick impact is exactly why deadline deals can linger. White has fit as a depth piece in limited action, showing he can handle left-handed pitching and bring value on the bases and in the field, which is the sort of low-profile production teams often miss once a player is gone. [Read more 🡒]
Braves First Round Pick Is Already Changing The Draft Debate
Carter Beck was the sort of first-round pick that invites instant second-guessing, especially when a club takes him 26th overall and the conversation starts before hes even settled into pro ball. Atlanta did the opposite of sitting still with him, moving him through Low-A Augusta and High-A Rome early in his first taste of the minors, and the early returns have been hard to ignore. In 15 games, Beck has hit .367/.424/.467 and already flashed the kind of bat-to-ball ability that can quiet a draft room in a hurry.
The bigger question now is less about whether Beck can hit and more about where the rest of his game goes from here. Scouts like the aggression he brings to the plate and the speed he can add on the bases, while also seeing room for growth in outfield defense and in the kind of power that tends to separate a promising prospect from a true middle-order threat. For a Braves system that leaned into upside on draft day, Beck is already making the argument that the original debate may have been the wrong one. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Top Prospect Found Perspective During A Night He Desperately Needed
The Columbus Clingstones turned one of their regular-season nights into something bigger with their annual CURE Childhood Cancer Night against Montgomery, pairing players and coaches with local pediatric cancer patients. For Braves top prospect Eric Hartman, the evening ended up carrying a different kind of weight too, because he found himself right in the middle of a memorable performance at the plate while also taking in the human side of the night around him.
Hartman launched his first Double-A home run and finished with three hits, a needed breakthrough for a player whose attention was split between baseball and perspective. He also spent time meeting the pediatric cancer patients and reflected on how much the experience meant to him, leaving the night as much about gratitude as production. [Read more 🡒]