Braves Outright Four Players, Clear Space to Reinstate Injured Stars

It's the time of year when the Atlanta Braves have to begin setting up the roster for 2026, and it's making head spin

The Atlanta Braves keep making needed adjustments to the roster | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves' whirlwind of moves keeps coming on Thursday. To reinstate players from the 60-day injured list, the Braves outrighted four players to Triple-A Gwinnett: left-hander Austin Cox, right-hander Joel Payamps, catcher Chuckie Robinson and outfielder Carlos Rodríguez.

Players who were reinstated from the 60-day injured list include infielders Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley, left-hander Aaron Bummer, outfielder Jake Fraley, right-handers Daysbel Hernández, Grant Holmes, Joe Jiménez, Reynaldo López, AJ Smith-Shawver and Spencer Schwellenbach, and catcher Sean Murphy.

Last but not least, the Braves formally announced the following moves regarding club options. Chris Sale and Ozzie Albies are sticking around. Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley are not. Got all that? Cool. No sweat if it's a lot to keep up with.

The decision to keep Albies around was already confirmed by Alex Anthopoulos during an interview with 92.9 The Game. Jon Heyman initially reported the declined options for Johnson and Kinley and the exercised option for Chris Sale.

Ha-Seong Kim declined his player option earlier this week, helping set the stage for the flurry of moves to come.

Of the players who received an outright assignment, only Austin Cox spent any meaningful time with the Braves this season. He made 13 appearances for the Braves in multiple stints with the big league club. He finished with an 8.86 ERA in 21 1/3 innings pitched.

The Braves have been slowly chipping away at members of the 40-man roster over the last month. Since they had to activate the players who finished the season on the 60-day injured list, they decided who had to go.

Some players who have been removed from the 40-man include Jarred Kelenic, Sandy Leon and Luke Williams. Leon is the only player who has returned since electing free agency.

Those who were removed from the roster on Thursday still have their statuses up in the air. Some could accept their assignment. Others could elect free agency. Some who elect free agency, like Leon, could end up re-signing as minor league free agents.