CHICAGO — The Braves will have Daysbel Hernández in their bullpen as they start a three-game series with the Cubs on Tuesday.
The Braves recalled Hernández on Tuesday, ahead of the series opener at Wrigley Field. He provides a fresh arm after the Braves optioned Ray Kerr, whose workload Sunday made him unavailable for at least the next few days.
Hernández was with the team Monday as the 27th man for the doubleheader against San Diego at Truist Park. He pitched a scoreless inning in the first game – his lone appearance in the majors this year.
Hernández, who made the Braves’ postseason roster in October, is having another terrific season. Over 16-1/3 innings at Gwinnett, he’s allowed only three earned runs – good for a 1.65 ERA. And in that span, he’s struck out 22 batters.
He has a high-velocity arm whose four-seamer and slider combination can produce a lot of swings and misses. This will be valuable for the Braves’ bullpen.
More than anything, he’s a fresh arm, whereas Kerr probably wouldn’t have been able to pitch for at least the next couple of days. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Braves stretch out Kerr in Gwinnett.
Last season, Hernández made his MLB debut. In 3-2/3 innings in the majors in the regular season, he allowed three runs. He struck out six batters and walked three.
For now, Hernández will take that bullpen spot as the Braves begin a six-game trip.
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