The Atlanta Braves roster will be without stud reliever Dylan Lee for an upcoming series against the Detroit Tigers starting on Tuesday, April 28, with the left-hander heading to the paternity list, per a team announcement. Right-hander Didier Fuentes was recalled to take Lee’s spot on the squad.
Lee has been one of the most effective relievers in the Atlanta bullpen to open the season. The veteran has pitched to a 1.38 ERA across 14 appearances. He’s racked up four holds, tying him for the team lead with Aaron Bummer and Robert Suarez. The Braves are already missing closer Raisel Iglesias, who went down with a shoulder injury. Suarez has stepped in as the closer with Iglesias out.
Fuentes has been up and down with the big-league club multiple times this season. He broke camp with the team and appeared in the first series of the year against the Kansas City Royals. The righty tossed four innings of one-run ball in relief of Grant Holmes in the final game of the set, which Atlanta lost by a score of 4-1. Fuentes was back for an appearance against the Washington Nationals, in which he allowed four earned runs over three innings in an 8-6 win.
Atlanta Braves Roster News: Dylan Lee to Paternity List, Didier Fuentes Back in the Majors
Lee has been a crucial member of the Atlanta bullpen for each of the past four seasons. He’s notched a 2.73 ERA across 212 games since debuting with the club in 2021. Lee has a stellar 29.1% strikeout rate and a 5.9% walk rate as a big leaguer. The lefty has typically been a situational option, but he briefly stepped into the closer role last season, picking up his first two career saves.
The absence of Lee will press Bummer into high-leverage work. The veteran is off to a solid beginning to the year, putting together a 3.12 ERA over 12 outings. Bummer doesn’t have the strikeout ability of Lee, but tends to keep runs off the board. He’s notched a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the past two seasons with the Braves.
The only other lefty in the bullpen is Jose Suarez. The former Los Angeles Angels starter is more of a long reliever. Manager Walt Weiss will likely continue to rely on Suarez in a multi-inning capacity.
Fuentes Back With the Braves
Fuentes is a consensus top-three prospect in the organization. MLB Pipeline has him in the No. 3 spot. FanGraphs put Fuentes in the No. 2 slot. The young righty has flashed massive strikeout stuff throughout his pro career. Fuentes has already piled up 11 strikeouts over seven MLB innings this year.
The Braves have prioritized roster flexibility by shuffling fresh arms into the rotation and the bullpen. Fuentes, Dylan Dodd, Rolddy Munoz, and Osvaldo Bido have already had stints with the big-league squad. Veterans Carlos Carrasco and Martin Perez were leaned on to provide reliable innings. JR Ritchie is the latest pitcher to get a shot in Atlanta. He delivered seven solid frames in his MLB debut and will remain in the rotation for now.
Braves Lose Dylan Lee, Recall Top Prospect Ahead of Tigers Game