Braves Call Up Familiar Face in Effort to Shake Up Sluggish Bullpen

When the Atlanta Braves need him most, he's back again to help get the team back on track

There should be no surprises here | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The world is starting to return to its usual equilibrium. The Atlanta Braves have called up right-handed relief pitcher Jesse Chavez. In a corresponding move, Héctor Neris has been designated for assignment. 

Chavez returned to the organization on a minor-league contract shortly after the Texas Rangers released him at the end of Spring Training. 

This is the umpteenth time he’s been with the team, and when the Braves need the bullpen help, he’s here and ready to come to the team’s aid again. 

He made one appearance in his third career stint with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers before getting the call. He allowed an earned run in 1 1/3 innings of work. 

Chavez made 46 appearances with the Braves in 2024. He finished with a 3.13 ERA in 63 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was as low as 1.17 on June 21 but he struggled the rest of the season. In his final 22 games, he had a 4.96 ERA. 

Meanwhile, the Neris experiment failed, to say the least. 

So far, the bullpen has nine earned runs in 12 innings pitched. Five of those runs have been changed to Neris. He’s made two appearances and has recorded three outs. For those wondering what his ERA is, it’s 45.00. 

The 41-year-old reliever will be up for the task of helping correct course. 

The Braves have been swept in a season-opening four-game series for the first time since 1980. It was the first time they had been swept in a four-game series since 2018. While the offense going 22 innings since scoring their last run hasn’t helped, neither has the bullpen, or at least certain arms in the bullpen, putting the game out of reach. 

A major problem was recognized heading into the three-game series with the Dodgers. If this move helps at all, it’s a major step in the right direction.