The Braves shuffled their pitching staff on Tuesday, bringing in a familiar arm and sending a rookie back to Triple-A just a day after his first taste of the majors.
Atlanta signed right-hander Elieser Hernandez to a major league contract and optioned right-hander Blake Burkhalter to Triple-A Gwinnett following Monday night’s game. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, the club designated left-hander Hayden Harris for assignment.
Burkhalter’s stay in the big leagues was brief, but it came after a strong run at Gwinnett. The 25-year-old made his MLB debut on September 1 against the Washington Nationals, working one inning and giving up one earned run. Before that call-up, he had been rolling in Triple-A, putting together a 1.48 ERA with 37 strikeouts over 24 1/3 innings.
He now heads back to Gwinnett to keep building on that performance. Burkhalter, a 2022 second-round pick out of Auburn, remains under team control through 2032.
Hernandez gives Atlanta a different kind of piece. The 31-year-old veteran has spent seven seasons in the majors and has already made two appearances for the Braves this year, posting a 1.50 ERA with six strikeouts in six innings. He works with a low-90s sinker and sweeper, and the Braves have leaned on him as a multi-inning option who can help keep softer contact coming.
That role matters for manager Walt Weiss, especially as Atlanta tries to protect high-leverage relievers Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias during the stretch run.
Hernandez’s path to this point has taken him from the Miami Marlins to several other organizations before he eventually landed with Atlanta on a minor league deal in 2026.
The Braves enter Wednesday at 82-57 and still hold first place in the NL East, with a three-game cushion over the Philadelphia Phillies.
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