Braves Add More Relief Pitching Depth via Minor League Deal

The Atlanta Braves have apparently made the move to add more relief-pitching help to the organization. According to his transaction log, they signed left-hander Kyle Nelson to a minor league contract.

Officially, it said that he signed back on Feb. 25 and was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett. However, he was assigned to the Braves on Tuesday and had a roster status change. He made his first appearance with the team that same day. He allowed an earned run on a hit and a walk across an inning of work.

Before joining the Braves organization, the 29-year-old lefty spent time with the that was called the Cleveland Indians at the time and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was a regular arm in the Arizona bullpen during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, making 111 apperances. Since then, he's battled a major injury then spent most of last season in Triple-A.

For his career, he has a 4.34 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP across 116 innings of work. Naturally, he will provide an experienced option in the system. It would be unexpected if he were to break camp with the big league team, especially since he's arriving so late.

The Braves will likely churn through their share of bullpen arms during the regular season. So, if he pitches for the team some time later on, that wouldn't be surprising in the slightest.

What we know for certain is that Raisel Iglesias will be the closer, and Robert Suarez will be the setup man who occasionally closes out games. Dylan Lee, Aaron Bummer, Tyler Kinley and Joel Payamps are locked in on major league contracts. The latter two were re-signed over the offseason. This group is likely going to start the season in the major league bullpen.

Ian Hamilton and Danny Young are on the 40-man roster but on split or non-guaranteed contracts. They are not guaranteed spots on the big league roster, but they're on the 40-man. Their pay is also contingent on whether they are on the major league staff.

Other options for bullpen, though have already been reassigned or optioned, include prospects Hayden Harris and Rolddy Muñoz and minor league signings such as James Karinchak.

The Braves host the Phillies in North Port on Wednesday. Martin Perez is penciled in as the starting pitcher. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

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