Atlanta Braves Place No. 2 Prospect on IL

The Atlanta Braves place their No. 2 prospect on the IL after struggling in first-two appearances.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep is headed to the IL / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves announced Monday they recalled outfielder Forrest Wall and right-hander Daysbel Hernández from Triple-A Gwinnett. These moves correspond with the optioning of outfielder J.P. Martinez to Triple-A and placing right-hander, and number-two prospect, Hurston Waldrep on the injured list. 

The #Braves today recalled OF Forrest Wall to Atlanta after optioning OF J.P. Martínez to Triple-A Gwinnett following yesterday’s game. Additionally, the club recalled RHP Daysbel Hernández to Atlanta and placed RHP Hurston Waldrep on the 15-day injured list with right elbow…

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 17, 2024

Both Wall (28) and Hernández (27) have previously been up with the big league club this season. 

Wall made appearances in two games back in April - one at the plate, where he did not reach base, and one as a pinch runner, where he scored a run. In Gwinnett, Wall had a slash line of .287/.393/.415 and has four home runs and 12 total extra-base hits. He’s also stolen 11 bases.

Wall is in the lineup for the Braves game on Monday when they start their next-home series with the Detroit Tigers. He’ll bat eighth and play in left field. 

Herandez pitched three innings across three appearances on the mound including two in May and another earlier this month. He gave up one unearned run while allowing four hits and one walk. 

Martinez had two hits, including an extra-base hit, in 10 plate appearances. He has already played 45 games down in Triple-A this season. Martinez has a slash line of .265/.337/.394 with three home runs.

Waldrep has struggled in his first two starts for the Braves. In seven innings, he allowed 13 earned runs on nine hits (three of which were home runs) and eight walks. Waldrep has only struck out three batters. He did not make it out of the fourth inning in either start. 

To put those into traditional pitcher stats, that’s a 16.71 ERA and 2.42 WHIP.  

According to Braves beat writer for MLB.com Mark Bowman, the Braves were originally going to send Waldrep down to Gwinnett. However, the 22-year-old pitcher then reported he had more elbow soreness than usual.  

After the Braves told Waldrep he was being sent down, he went back to the trainers and told them his elbow soreness was more than normal. So, the team opted to put him on the IL

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 17, 2024

The Braves drafted Waldrep 24th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida. He only made 18 total minor league starts before being called up to Atlanta.