The Braves wasted little time making a change after Friday’s game, cutting ties with Elieser Hernandez just one outing into his Atlanta stint.
On Saturday morning, the club announced that the right-hander had been designated for assignment and that left-hander Connor Thomas was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Hernandez had thrown three innings in Friday’s game, but that was enough for Atlanta to move on. The veteran signed a minor league deal with the Braves last offseason and now finds himself back in roster limbo after his first appearance for the team.
His big-league track record is a long one: 100 Major League appearances, 49 of them starts, with a 5.05 ERA and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors noted the Braves could be viewing Hernandez as a possible stand-in for Carlos Carrasco, writing, "With Carlos Carrasco now off to Hernandez’s old KBO club, it is possible the Braves might view Hernandez as a replacement to fill Carrasco’s role as a veteran who is frequently recalled (and then DFA’ed and outrighted) when Atlanta needs a fresh arm,"
Polishuk also added, "The decision is up to Hernandez if he clears waivers, as he has the right to decline any future outright assignments in favor of free agency,"
Hernandez spent 2025 in South Korea with the Korea Baseball Organization’s LG Twins. Friday’s appearance against the Baltimore Orioles was his first since 2024, when he split the season between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers.
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