A former Atlanta Braves pitcher is getting another chance to keep his major league career alive. The 36-year-old veteran has landed a new opportunity with an NL West organization, extending a baseball journey that appeared to be nearing its end.
For veteran players in their mid-30s, opportunities can disappear quickly. This latest move gives eight-year big leaguer John Brebbia a fresh path back to the majors and a chance to prove he still belongs on a major league mound.
John Brebbia’s Colorado Rockies Promotion
The Colorado Rockies selected the contract of right-hander John Brebbia from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, the club announced, filling a bullpen gap opened by injuries and a designation. Right-hander Blas Castaño landed on the 15-day injured list with a right pectoral strain, retroactive to June 18, and left-hander Sammy Peralta was designated for assignment, according to MLB Trade Rumors reporter Mark Polishuk.
Brebbia, 36, will wear No. 60 and is set to make his first major-league appearance of 2026, and his first ever in a Rockies uniform. His road back was anything but easy. He first signed a minor-league deal with Colorado in December 2025 and received a spring training invitation, but the club cut him loose March 23 before Opening Day.
He then joined the Minnesota Twins organization and was assigned to Triple-A St. Paul, where he was released May 20, according to MLB.com. Brebbia re-signed with Colorado on a minor-league deal May 29 and returned to Albuquerque. In seven appearances with the Isotopes, he threw nine scoreless innings, struck out 10 batters and issued zero walks, a line that made Sunday’s phone call seemingly inevitable.
Why Atlanta Braves Cut Ties With Brebbia — Twice
Brebbia was a 30th-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2011. His two stints with Atlanta followed the same dispiriting arc. He posted standout Triple-A numbers, and then failed to carry that performance over once he returned to MLB.
The first came after the Chicago White Sox designated him for assignment Aug. 27, 2024, following a 6.29 ERA across 54 appearances. The Braves signed him Aug. 31 on a minor-league deal and selected his contract the very next day. He delivered a 2.70 ERA with nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings over five games, then elected free agency October 31 after being sent back down.
Brebbia’s second go-round with Atlanta came in 2025 after a right triceps strain derailed his time with the Detroit Tigers. He posted a 7.71 ERA across 19 appearances before a June 15 designation for assignment and an outright release four days later. Brebbia signed another minor-league deal with the Braves on June 24 and performed at a high level at Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 1.89 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 15 outings spanning 19 innings.
Atlanta selected his contract Aug. 29. Three MLB appearances produced a 7.71 ERA. The Braves designated him for assignment Sept. 8 and assigned him back to Gwinnett, but Brebbia elected free agency instead.
Across the 2024-25 seasons, Brebbia posted a 6.41 ERA over 78 2/3 innings with the White Sox, Braves and Tigers combined, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The pattern was impossible to ignore: dominant in Triple-A, inconsistent once promoted.
Colorado is betting the Albuquerque version of Brebbia shows up at Coors Field. His career 4.04 ERA across 376 major-league appearances, logged since his 2017 debut with the St. Louis Cardinals, suggests a useful arm is still in there somewhere.
Atlanta Braves Castoff, 36, Gets New Life in MLB With NL West Opportunity