Following the trade deadline, the Braves announced a slew of roster moves.
Most notably, Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy have been activated from the Injured List. In a corresponding move, Jorge Mateo was designated for assignment. There was no extra move necessary to make room for Murphy, as Joey Bart was traded to the White Sox today.
Additionally, three new faces join the club via trade — Lane Thomas, Tyler Mahle, and Brent Suter. To make room for them, JR Ritchie and James Karinchak were optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
The #Braves today reinstated INF Ha-Seong Kim and C Sean Murphy from the injured list and designated INF Jorge Mateo for assignment. The club also optioned RHP James Karinchak and RHP JR Ritchie to Triple-A Gwinnett. OF Lane Thomas, RHP Tyler Mahle and LHP Brent Suter were all…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 3, 2026
The Braves’ decision to DFA Mateo in favor of Kim may upset some fans. Mateo offered great defense at shortstop and elite speed on the bases, but his hot start to the season has clouded what he’s actually been offensively this year. Since the start of June, he’s hitting .120 with a .330 OPS.
Of course, that’s still better than Ha-Seong Kim’s numbers for the season, but the Braves paid Kim $20 million, and there’s still some upside with him if he can figure things out down the stretch. This decision really was a no-brainer, and the more positive aspect of it is that Jim Jarvis is sticking with the major-league club.
Also of note: this is now JR Ritchie’s fifth time being optioned this season. That means it’s not likely we see him again anytime soon. After a player is optioned six times, he must clear waivers to return to the club. Ritchie certainly wouldn’t clear waivers, so unless the Braves plan on keeping him up the rest of the way once he’s recalled, he’ll continue to develop in Gwinnett.
—
(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)