Joe Jiménez to Take Significant Step, Braves Call Up JR Ritchie

At last, Joe Jiménez will see live action in a baseball game. As part of a transactions report by the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday morning, the team announced that he would head to Triple-A Gwinnett for a rehab assignment.

The Stripers are set to start their homestand, the last series of their season. There are six possible games for Jiménez to see action in between Tuesday and Sunday.

It has been a long process with setbacks along the way for the former set up. His last appearance came during Game 2 of the National League Wild Card series on Oct. 2, 2024 against the San Diego Padres. A few days before that, he had pitched both ends of a doubleheader against the New York Mets.

He put plenty on the line for his team, and then that was all she wrote for nearly two years. He underwent knee surgery, and he's been recovering every since. At one point, it seemed like his career would be over.

The Braves made it clear during the Winter Meetings, two months before spring training, that Jiménez wouldn't be a factor in 2026. However, over the summer, the picture started to change.

He started throwing. He was seen with the team. Eventually, he was posting videos of himself throwing off a mound. Now, he's going to pitch in a game.

After the Triple-A season ends, there will be about a week of MLB action left. In theory, he could pitch then, but that's a wait and see. Barring any update that say it's happening, it should be viewed as unlikely for now.

The fact that he's in a game at all is a major update. Jiménez has the chance to get some games in and then approach the offseason as normal for the first time in a long time.

Ritchie to Aid Rotation

As expected, JR Ritchie has been called up to pitch for the Braves on Wednesday. Reynaldo López was also officially placed on the 15-day injured list, which was anticipated. The official ruling was right shoulder inflammation.

It was revealed Monday night that López had been experiencing shoulder discomfort for some time. Something didn't look right in his last start, and he was yanked early. AJ Smith-Shawver covered the remainder of the game.

In 14 apperances, eight starts, Ritchie has pitched to a 4.50 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He's been strong in Triple-A lately. In September, he's allowed three earned runs over 12 1/3 innings pitched (2.13 ERA). His first start of the month saw him punch out 15, a Gwinnett record for a single pitcher in a game.

Enjoy our content? Make BravesOnSI a Preferred Source to see more stories from us on Google: https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=si.com

Add us as a preferred source on Google