Roster moves were expected following the Atlanta Braves loss last night to the Miami Marlins.
The club chose to outright release Aaron Bummer, ending his time in Atlanta. JR Ritchie was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett, another move that felt inevitable. In corresponding transactions, Dylan Dodd and Victor Mederos were added to the active roster.
However, the most unexpected move — and yet another gut punch for the Braves in the injury department — is that Drake Baldwin has been placed on the 10-day IL with an oblique injury.
Chadwick Tromp was added to the roster in his place.
The #Braves today selected C Chadwick Tromp to the major league roster and placed C Drake Baldwin on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique muscle. Atlanta also returned LHP Dylan Dodd from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 19, 2026
Drake Baldwin has been the engine at the top of the Atlanta Braves lineup and arguably the most valuable player on the roster. He’s not just been the best offensive catcher in baseball — he’s been one of the best hitters in the league, looking every bit like someone capable of winning an NL MVP award.
Losing him for any amount of time is a devastating blow, especially with Sean Murphy already expected to miss 2-3 months with a fractured middle finger. And it’s not as if oblique injuries are minor issues. Depending on the severity of the strain, this could sideline Baldwin for multiple months.
At this point, it’s all speculation, but this has quickly turned into a nightmare situation for the Braves behind the plate. I wrote last week that the team didn’t need to wait to make a trade for a catcher after Murphy went down — this news should only accelerate those conversations.
Aaron Bummer’s tenure in Atlanta likely won’t be remembered for very long. He was a decent middle reliever over the previous two seasons, but the stuff had clearly deteriorated. So much so that the Braves could no longer trust him even in low-leverage situations to cover innings.
They really had no choice but to move on after he walked five batters and surrendered six runs in yesterday’s 12-0 loss to the Miami Marlins.
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(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)