The Braves’ 2026 season is well underway.
Keep it here for all the team’s personnel and injury news.
On Tuesday, the Braves outrighted pitcher Martín Pérez to Triple-A Gwinnett. Pérez instead elected free agency.
Pérez, a lefty, was desiginated for assignment Sunday and has since cleared waivers. He had pitched five innings Saturday in what became a 6-0 Braves loss. But the veteran Pérez allowed just one run and only two hits while working around three walks.
In three games with the Braves, Pérez allowed five earned runs over 14 1/3 innings, inlcuding 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief March 31 against the Athletics.
The Braves made another roster move Tuesday, recalling left-handed pitcher Hayden Harris and optioning right-handed pitcher Rolddy Muñoz to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Harris was in spring training with the Braves and allowed one earned run in five innings over five games. He struck out 12 in his five appearances.
At Triple-A Gwinnett, Harris had thrown 4 2/3 innings in five games and had an ERA of 4.76 while fanning seven. The lefty made his MLB debut for the Braves in September and pitched in three games.
Muñoz joined the Braves on Monday from Gwinnett and was called into action in the sixth inning of a 10-4 loss to the Marlins at Truist Park. He allowed three earned runs on five hits and a walk.
On Monday, Michael Harris II was reinstated from the paternity list.
Harris missed games against the Guardians on Saturday and Sunday for the birth of his son. The Braves' center fielder is hitting .235 with two home runs and seven RBIs.
In a corresponding move, infielder Luke Williams, who went 0-for-2 with a walk during Sunday's 13-1 victory, was designated for assignment.
The Braves recalled right-hander Rolddy Muñoz to Atlanta on Monday after optioning pitcher Dylan Dodd to Triple-A Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.
Muñoz has pitched in five games for the Gwinnett Stripers, totaling 7⅔ scoreless innings and allowing just three hits while striking out seven, walking three and earning three holds. Muñoz, who turns 26 on Tuesday, appeared in three games for the Braves in 2025.
Dodd joined the club Monday from Triple-A Gwinnett and earned his first career save by pitching three innings of scoreless relief in a 13-1 win over the Guardians at Truist Park. Dodd retired the first eight batters he faced before allowing a two-out double in the ninth inning.
The Braves made a difficult, yet calculated, roster move Sunday.
Left-handed pitcher Martín Pérez was desiginated for assignment and left-handed reliever Dylan Dodd was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett. Dodd was in the Braves' clubhouse ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Guardians.
"We needed bodies for the next few days, particularly tonight," Braves manager Walt Weiss said Sunday. "So some of these moves are tough to make, but you got to make them. Now, there's a process you go through there, and there's a chance (Pérez) will be back with us. Me personally, that's my hope, that (Pérez) comes back to us.
"But we just needed to have an extra body tonight. Our bullpen, I've ridden them pretty hard here recently."
Pérez pitched five innings Saturday in what became a 6-0 Braves loss. But the veteran Pérez allowed just one run and only two hits while working around three walks.
In three games with the Braves, Pérez allowed five earned runs over 14 1/3 innings. His 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief March 31 against the Athletics were invaluable for the health of the Braves' bullpen over the course of the club's stretch of 13 games in 13 days to start the season.
"I'm just enjoying what I'm doing because I feel great," said Pérez who had dealt with nagging injuries in recent seasons. "I feel healthy, and it's a good feeling to go out there and compete and then finish the game."
Having started Saturday's game, Pérez was not scheduled to make another start until Thursday — and the Braves are off that day. So Chris Sale, scheduled to start Sunday's game, would be on regular rest if the Braves decide to start him Friday against the Phillies in Philadelphia.
Thus, Pérez's next turn in the rotation won't come up until April 21 in Washington, D.C., at which time the Braves could call up a starter from Triple-A.
Pérez could be claimed off waivers by another club within the next week. If he is not, the Braves could outright Pérez to the minor leagues unless he chooses free agency.
Dodd has thrown 5 1/3 innings of relief over four games for the Gwinnett Stripers where he had allowed eight hits, four earned runs and two homers while striking out nine. The 27-year-old lefty pitched in 28 games for the Braves in 2025.
On Saturday, the Braves placed center fielder Michael Harris II on the paternity list.
Harris, who hit a two-run home run Friday at Truist Park in an 11-5 Braves' win over the Guardians, can be away from the club for 1-3 days. Harris is hitting .235 with two home runs, seven RBIs and 10 strikeouts.
Harris' homer Friday was part of a six-run inning for the Braves.
"Always good to get some results out of a swing that you feel good about," Harris said Friday. "It's a long season and I had some bad luck early on, but at some point it's got to turn around and I just got to keep going out there and swining."
To take Harris' roster spot, the Braves selected infielder Luke Williams. Williams has appeared in 80 games with the Braves over the course of the past three seasons and was hitting .241 over 10 games with Triple-A Gwinnett.
The Braves also transferred left-handed pitcher Danny Young from to the 60-day injured list and reinstated right-handed pitcher Daysbel Hernandez from the injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López and Los Angeles Angels outfielder and designated hitter Jorge Soler have each received a seven-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for their actions in the benches-clearing incident during the bottom of the fifth inning of Tuesday’s game at Angel Stadium, MLB announced Wednesday.
After Soler hit a home run in the first inning, and after López hit Soler in the hand with a pitch in the third inning, Soler charged the mound in the fifth inning after a López fastball sailed over catcher Jonah Heim's head. Both benches and dugouts emptied resulting in a minor fight between the two teams.
The suspensions of López and Soler had been scheduled to begin Wednesday. However, both López and Soler elected to appeal, thus the discipline will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.
Soler was in the Angels' lineup Wednesday batting fourth.
Later Wednesday, López reached a settlement with MLB and his suspension was reduced to five games effective immediately. López is scheduled to make his next start Monday at Truist Park against the Marlins.
The Braves made a transaction Friday by acquiring right-handed pitcher Victor Mederos from the Angels. In exchange, the Braves sent the Angels international bonus pool money.
A native of Cuba, the 24-year-old Mederos pitched for Oklahoma State and went to high school in California. He was drafted by the Angels in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB draft.
Mederos has pitched in 12 MLB games since 2023 and has allowed 24 earned runs in 25 1/3 innings. Last season the 6-foot-2, right-hander gave up 14 runs in 17 innings and walked 12 hitters.
The Angels had designated Mederos for assignment Sunday.
The Braves have optioned Mederos to Triple-A Gwinnett and transferred pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver to the 60-day injured list.
The Braves on Tuesday claimed pitcher Osvaldo Bido off waivers from the Yankees.
Bido, 30, made seven appearances for the Yankees in the Grapefruit League and had a 1.29 ERA with seven strikeouts and three walks over seven innings. The right-hander from the Dominican Republic originally signed with the Pirates as a free agent in 2017.
In three MLB seasons, Bido has pitched in 58 games and made 28 starts with the Pirates (2023) and A's (2024-25). Bido has a 5.07 career ERA and was actually claimed by the Braves off waivers from the A's in December before the Rays claimed him off waivers from the Braves two weeks later.
In a corresponding move Tuesday, the Braves placed pitcher Joey Wentz on the 60-day injured list. Wentz tore the ACL in his right knee in early March and is expected to miss the 2026 season.
Manager Walt Weiss confirmed the Braves rotation for their opening series against the Royals starting Friday at Truist Park.
Chris Sale, previously announced as the opening day starter, will take the mound Friday and be opposed by Cole Ragans for the Royals. On Saturday, Reynaldo Lopez will pitch followed by Spencer Strider on Sunday.
Sale pitched six strong innings against the Red Sox on Saturday in Fort Myers. Lopez was on the mound Sunday in Fort Myers against the Twins, and Strider is scheduled to make his final Grapefruit League start Monday in Bradenton against the Pirates.
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