The Braves made a couple of roster moves following the long weekend, and fans will be excited that Jacob Webb has been reinstated from the 45-day IL. Kyle Wright has also been added to the active roster and will start tonight against the Marlins.
The #Braves today recalled RHP Kyle Wright to Atlanta, and returned RHP Jacob Webb from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the 45-day IL.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 8, 2020
However, to make room for those two, Atlanta had to DFA a fan favorite and placed another irreplaceable piece on the 10-day IL.
To make room on the active roster Atlanta placed LHP Max Fried on the 10-day IL, backdated to September 6, with a left-side muscle spasm in his lumbar spine, and designated Charlie Culberson for assignment.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 8, 2020
Culberson finally being DFA’d is far from a surprise. It was just a matter of time before the Braves made that decision, considering how little he was being used. Still, it’s hard not to feel for the guy, but at least we got to watch him one more time on the mound before this move happened. We will see if any team decides to claim him, or if he ends up being optioned to Gwinnett. My guess is another club will find value in a clutch bat like Culberson.
The real loss here is Max Fried. The Braves are 8-1 when he starts, as he boasts a 6-0 record with a 1.98 ERA — good for 2.8 bWAR. He has undoubtedly been Atlanta’s most valuable player through this point in the season, and the team has no chance of surviving a playoff series without him leading their rotation.
There was concern regarding Fried after his velocity dropped in his last two starts. Hopefully, it is just fatigue, and the Braves are acting with an abundance of caution, giving him a couple weeks of rest before the stretch run and the postseason. That seems to be the case after general manager Alex Anthopoulos commented on the situation.
Max Fried could return as early as next Wednesday during the Orioles series. pic.twitter.com/BBKyZwAj60
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) September 8, 2020
So it is undoubtedly a bittersweet day for Braves country, with more bad news coming than good. Jacob Webb, who posted a ridiculous 1.39 ERA over 36 appearances last season, could add to what is already arguably the majors’ best bullpen. But there is no time for celebration when Max Fried has to spend time on the injured list.
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