Today, the Braves officially added the newly acquired Billy Hamilton to the roster. They also announced that left-handed relief pitcher Grant Dayton will begin his rehabilitation assignment tonight with the Gwinnett Stripers.
The #Braves today added OF Billy Hamilton to the active roster and he will be available for tonight’s game. Additionally, LHP Grant Dayton will begin a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett tonight.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 20, 2019
Hamilton will serve mostly as a defensive replacement in centerfield and a pinch-runner. It’s unlikely he receives many at-bats, but the Braves are extremely short-handed on their bench. If Julio Teheran had to pinch-hit, you can expect to see Hamilton with the bat at least a few times.
Dayton is recovering from a fractured big-toe that occurred while he was playing catch. In limited appearances, he’s been effective when in Atlanta, carrying a 2.16 ERA in 8.1 innings. And to be honest, I have been a bit puzzled as to why the Braves did not utilize him more when the bullpen was struggling. Dayton will still find a role on the roster when they expand and could even make a case for a spot on the potential playoff roster due to the lack of lefties in the bullpen.