Atlanta has made a couple of moves today, and a key injury has thinned the herd for the bullpen selection process. Andrew McKirahan has gone to meet with Dr. James Andrews and is likely out for the season, and will likely undergo his 2nd Tommy John’s Surgery. I do not expect McKirahan to be back with the Braves.
Next, the following prospects were moved to Minor League Camp:
OF Braxton Davidson
Davidson is only 19 years old, so he got a small taste of the majors before going back to minor league camp. He had one hit in limited plate appearances in these 4 spring games.
OF Matt Tuiasosopo
A new face (and name) to the Braves organization, Tuiasosopo was playing pretty well, hitting .222 over his scattered plate appearances this spring. The 29 year old will probably be a filler player if anyone is injured this year.
C Matt Kennelly
AA Catcher. Kennelly was 1-2 this spring with 3 RBIs. He’s probably not going to be on the Major League Club barring something major.
C Braeden Schlehuber
Same type of player as Kennelly. 1-2 in 2 at bats.
C Joseph Odom
Odom is the only catcher on this list I would consider to be a prospect. Odom made some good throws during the Spring, and could get a shot at the Major League Club in the coming years. 1-2 this Spring with an RBI double.
With those guys saying goodbye to their teammates for the Spring, RHPs David Carpenter and Ryan Kelly said goodbye today too, as they were given their unconditional release. The 30 year old Carpenter had just re-joined the Braves, and after his scoreless inning vs Baltimore, he was cut. These moves were made so both of these players would have time to find other teams, and it was done early purely out of respect for David and Ryan. Ryan Kelly had a 7.02 ERA for the Braves in 2015.
More moves will be made in the following days, and the Braves have 63 men remaining at camp. Matt Wisler is set to start March 8th vs the Mets.