Former Braves Pitcher Threw for Teams at UCLA, Eyeing Contract

A starting pitcher looking to find a landing spot was was briefly with the Atlanta Braves last offseason and is familiar with their new pitching coach

It is unknown if the Braves were in attendance | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

A former Atlanta Braves pitcher is pushing to find a landing spot for the 2026 season. According to The Athletic's Will Sammon, Griffin Canning threw for teams at UCLA on Friday. The teams that were in attendance were not named.

What stood out about Canning's session was that his velocity was up to 93 mph. He had been recovering from a ruptured left Achilles tendon, which happened to come against the Braves, that ended a solid season.

Free agent right-hander Griffin Canning threw for teams at UCLA on Friday. Last June, a ruptured left Achilles ended what was shaping up as a solid season (3.77 ERA, 16 starts). He is up to 93 mph.

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) February 8, 2026

For those wondering why he was at UCLA, it's his alma mater. He pitched there for three seasons from 2015 to 2017. He's also orginally from southern California.

Canning signed with the Mets after the Braves opted not to tender him a contract last offseason. He had been acquired in the trade with the Angels for Jorge Soler that got what proved to be a quiet offseason started.

In 16 starts, he pitched to a 3.77 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP and 70 strikesouts in 76 1/3 innings pitched. It's not his first major injury. Elbow inflammation and a lower back injury have been the culprits of significant time on the injured list in the past.

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If any team picks him up, they are taking on a risk. The 2024 season marked the first time he made 30 starts in the majors. However, he could provide a team, including the Braves, with an extra arm in the system.

It would be likely that he gets either a minor league contract or an inexpensive one-year major league contract by this point in the season. If the Braves were to pick him back up, it would likely be on the former option.

They are still in the hunt for a bona fide starting pitching option who can jump into the rotation next season. They have picked up other depth options already as well. Martin Perez is a recent example, having signed with the team on a minor league contract just over a week ago.

What would help Canning if he were to sign with the Braves is his connection to pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who was with the Mets last season. At age 28, Canning was in the middle of what would have been a career year, so something could have been clicking with him and Hefner.

With pitchers and catchers reporting across baseball this week, Canning is up against the clock to get a proper spring training with a major league team. Even if he doesn't, he can still sign with a team at any time and work on getting prepared for action.

That latter scenario isn't uncommon either. The Braves had to do it with outfielder Alex Verdugo early last season because he signed so late in March.