Braves Activate Robert Suárez, Option Prospect Arm to Clear Spot

The Atlanta Braves get one of their top relievers back in the bullpen ahead of the postseason

The Braves will get their best reliever back in the bullpen ahead of the postseason | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Atlanta Braves, at last, have one of their top relievers back in the fray. The team announced this morning that they have activated Robert Suárez from the injured list, and he's officially off his rehab assignment.

In a corresponding move, Owen Murphy has been optioned. With the minor league season over for all their affiliates, he's simply optioned and not to a specific team.

Suarez last pitched for the team on June 19, and he went on the injured list a week later. What was originally labeled as soreness and fatigued was officially ruled to be right elbow soreness.

Manager Walt Weiss said that Suárez was likely to pitch on Wednesday with the possibility to pitch on Thursday. The goal is to get him some major league action in before the start of the postseason.

So far, he's made one appearance on a mound in a game. His rehab assignment saw him pitch a scoreless inning on Sunday for Gwinnett. He allowed a hit and picked up a strikeout.

When he was around this season, he was the team's best arm in the back end of the bullpen. He pitched to a 0.56 ERA (two total earned runs) and a 0.84 WHIP in 31 games. If he stayed healthy, he had a a good chance to be an All-Star alongside five of his teammates, including closer Raisel Iglesias.

The previous two seasons, when he was the closer for the San Diego Padres, he was an All-Star. They get him back at a good time. Postseason action is a week way, and he can get ramped up for it.

Murphy pitched for the team in relief on Tuesday night. He allowed three earned runs, including allowing two home runs, across three innings pitched. In two appearances out of the bullpen since being called up, he's allowed five earned runs over 5 1/3 innings.

He's shown flashes of what could be to come, and the Braves should forward to what the future holds for Murphy. It's just clear he's not quite ready.

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