The Atlanta Braves have been one of the best teams in MLB since the All-Star break.
Despite dropping two close games to the New York Yankees over the weekend, Atlanta still has a comfortable lead in the NL East, and the Braves are welcoming the New York Mets into town this week for a divisional clash.
However, before the Mets series, one update from manager Walt Weiss that quietly went under the radar involved reliever Robert Suarez, who has been sidelined from the team for several weeks with forearm soreness.
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Recent Robert Suarez Update Isn’t Great News
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 13: Robert Suarez #75 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park on May 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
According to manager Walt Weiss, Robert Suarez is still feeling soreness in his forearm, and the team is unsure when he will return to the fold.
NBCSports.com’s Rivers McCown wrote (last week):
“Suarez is still feeling a little soreness, thus, he has not begun to take any steps towards a return yet. He was placed on the IL in late June. It remains to be seen what kind of timeline to return he’ll have, but he’ll likely need a rehab assignment. This feels like it’s trending towards a September return at best.”
Walt Weiss basically indicated that Suarez won’t be rushed back into a return until the club is sure he is fully healthy, but regardless, a pretty concerning update surrounding the pitcher Atlanta inked to a 3-year, $45 million deal this offseason.
Prior to the injury, Suarez had been enjoying another highly productive season on the mound.
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Inside Robert Suarez’s MLB Career
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 30: Robert Suarez #75 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the eighth inning of a game against the Athletics at Truist Park on March 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images)
In his first 32 innings pitched with the Atlanta Braves, Robert Suarez has boasted a microscopic ERA of 0.56 with 29 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.844.
He previously pitched for the San Diego Padres, where he earned two All-Star appearances and had back-to-back campaigns of notching 35+ saves.
He was not used as the Braves’ closer due to Raisel Iglesias already being the ninth-inning man, but the duo of Suarez and Iglesias in the late innings is virtually untouchable.
Suarez has a lifetime ERA of 2.60 with 81 saves and 245 strikeouts over 242 IP.
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