The Braves promoted left-hander Jed Bradley from Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, the first day of expanded Major League Baseball rosters.
The Brewers selected Bradley with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Georgia Tech but he never pitched for their big-league team. The Braves acquired Bradley from the Brewers in a trade in June and he posted a 1.50 ERA in three starts for Gwinnett after he had a 2.35 ERA in 15 games (10 starts) for Double-A Mississippi.
Bradley began his career as a starter for the Brewers before moving to the bullpen in 2015. He said he welcomed the move back to starting and credited pitching coaches Dennis Lewallyn (Mississippi) and Mike Alvarez (Gwinnett) with helping him improve.
“I just try to keep things simple, attack the strike zone,” Bradley said. “Be the best I can be on any given day and not give hitters too much credit.”
Braves manager Brian Snitker said Bradley would pitch out of the bullpen for now.
Bradley is a native of Huntsville, Ala. He said he attended several games with a grandfather while growing up and also while playing three seasons for the Yellow Jackets.
“It’s just an honor, an absolute honor” to play for the Braves, Bradley said.
To make room for Bradley on the 40-man roster, the Braves moved lefty Eric O’Flaherty to the 60-day disabled list.
