The Atlanta Braves made a roster move ahead of their game on Sunday against the New York Mets.
Atlanta announced the Braves selected the contract of 17-year MLB veteran Carlos Carrasco and optioned JR Ritchie.
“The Braves today selected RHP Carlos Carrasco to the major league roster after optioning RHP JR Ritchie to Triple-A Gwinnett following last night’s game,” the Braves wrote on X.
Carrasco is in his 17th MLB season and has been used as a bit of a revolving door with Atlanta this season. The veteran pitches a handful of innings, gets DFA’d, elects free agency, and re-signs with the Braves. He’s already been DFA’d five times this season and will likely be DFA’d for a sixth time after Sunday’s game.
Carrasco has pitched effectively this season as he’s 0-0 with a 3.68 ERA in 7 games over 14.2 innings, as he gives the Braves a fresh arm out of the bullpen to give the team length.
As for Ritchie, he’s 1-2 with a 4.53 ERA in 9 games, including seven starts. He went 3 scoreless innings on Saturday, which led to him being optioned.
Braves Manager Praises Carrasco
Carrasco has had a unique year with the Braves as he gets his contract selected, and then is quickly DFA’d after a game or two.
However, the veteran is taking the role in stride, and Braves manager Walt Weiss has been impressed with how the veteran is handling the role.
“Cookie’s unbelievable. We love having him here… He hasn’t had many opportunities, but when he has, he’s done a really good job for us… You will not meet a better person than Cookie Carrasco… He’s as good as it gets,” Weiss said.
It’s difficult to constantly be going up and down, especially with the MLB track record that Carrasco has. Yet, he seems fine with the role as he continues to re-sign with the Braves after being DFA’d.
Carrasco led the AL in wins in 2017 and was named the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2019.
Atlanta Gets 5 All-Stars
The MLB announced the All-Star game rosters on Saturday, and the Braves had five players selected.
Chris Sale, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Raisel Iglesias, and Drake Baldwin were named to the All-Star Game. Albies and Baldwin were announced as starters by a fan vote.
“You want to have a good representation,” Olson said. “These guys have been playing well all year. I’m happy we’ve got some guys who are deserving. I still feel like there’s a couple more that deserve it as well. We’ll see what happens there.”
Sale, meanwhile, will be going to his 10th MLB All-Star game which is surreal for him.
“It’s special and I appreciate it,” Sale said. “It’s just crazy to think about, honestly.”
As for the Braves, Atlanta is coming off a 14-3 win over the Mets and has won the first two games of a four-game series.
The Braves are 52-35 and 3 games up on the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the NL East.
Braves Make Roster Move Involving 17-Year MLB Veteran During Mets Series