A former top prospect of the Atlanta Braves is looking for work.
Right-handed pitcher Andrew Thurman was pitching in Triple-A for the San Diego Padres, but the team opted to release him on Saturday, according to the MiLB transactions log.
Thurman was drafted in the second round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros. He was part of a blockbuster trade in January of 2015, as the Braves acquired him RHP Mike Foltynewicz and 3B Rio Ruiz for C Evan Gattis and RHP James Hoyt.
After the Braves acquired Thurman, he was the team’s 18th-ranked prospect. However, due to injuries, he never reached above Double-A and was released on August 18, 2016, and signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that offseason.
Thurman last pitched in 2017 but returned to the mound in 2025 in Indy ball after seven years away from the game. He signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and made 25 starts, going 7–2 and posting a 4.94 ERA with 128 strikeouts across 125.2 innings. After the successful year, he signed with the Padres this offseason.
With the Padres organization this season, Thurman went 2-7 with a 6.85 ERA in 30 games, including 8 starts, as his comeback to affiliated ball didn’t go well.
Thurman Had Injury-Riddled Career
Thurman stepped away from baseball after the 2017 season when he elected free agency.
The right-hander had struggled and was dealing with some injuries. In 2015, while he was in the Braves system in High-A, the team’s bus flipped over. That caused him to miss two months due to injury. Yet, years later, he was still feeling the impact of the bus crash, as while he was in the Dodgers system in 2017, he felt like he wasn’t healthy.
“I just wasn’t the same after that,” said Thurman to the LA Times.
Yet, with the Dodgers, Thurman felt the healthiest he had been and wanted to try and reach the MLB.
“I feel as healthy as I’ve been,” Thurman said. “When you get released, you realize that baseball can be taken away from you at any time. Every day you can play baseball for a living is a joy. There are thousands of kids who would love to be in this position. We get to put on our cleats and go out and have fun every day. …
“The reason we all do this is to be able to play major league baseball. When I was going out and walking five and six guys a game, I knew that wasn’t me. For me, I knew I had to tweak something with my mechanics and just get healthy to try to get over that hump.”
Unfortunately, Thurman never reached the MLB, and after his release from the Padres, he may not get another chance.
Braves Right Now
Atlanta is struggling as the Philadelphia Phillies are closing the gap in the NL East.
The Braves have lost three-straight series and will look to avoid being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
“We’ve got some good names in that lineup,” manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s just a matter of getting going again.”
Although the Phillies are closing the gap, the Braves aren’t worrying about it.
“You can’t think about who’s behind you,” Michael Harris said. “As long as you win the game, you kind of control your own distance.”
The Braves are 75-55 and 3 games up on the Phillies.
Former Braves Top Prospect Released Following Comeback Attempt