WASHINGTON – The Braves’ career of left-hander Manny Banuelos ended unceremoniously Thursday when the injury-plagued former top prospect was designated for assignment and released.
The Braves used a roster spot to claim third baseman/outfielder Kyle Kubitza – a former Braves prospect — off waivers from the Texas Rangers, who had designed him for assignment last week. He’ll go to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Banuelos, 25, was an elite Yankees prospect before Tommy John elbow surgery late in the 2012 season. He missed the 2013 season, was brought along cautiously by the Yankees in 2014, then traded to the Braves on Jan. 1, 2015, for relievers Chris Carpenter and Chasen Shreven.
Banuelos showed flashes of his big talent as a Braves rookie in 2015 before elbow discomfort grew into pain, and he was 1-4 with 5.13 ERA in seven games (six starts) before being shut down and eventually having season-ending surgery in September 2015 to remove multiple bone chips from his elbow.
He couldn’t get healthy this season and was 0-5 with a 5.33 ERA in a combined 14 starts at three minor league levels, with 44 strikeouts and 32 walks in 50 2/3 innings. Banuelos was on the Double-A Mississippi disabled list when he was DFA’d and released Thursday.
Kubitza, 26, was a third-round draft pick by the Braves in 2011 and was a third-base prospect blocked by Chris Johnson when the Braves sent Kubitza to the Los Angeles Angels with minor league reliever Nate Hyatt in a January 2015 trade for left-hander Ricardo Sanchez.
Acquired by the Rangers in a June 21 trade for cash, Kubitza has hit just .220 with six homers and a .322 OBP in 402 plate appearances this season with Triple-A affiliates of the Angels and Rangers, with 14 doubles, seven triples, six homers, 50 walks and 108 strikeouts.
His only major league experience came with the Angels last season, when he went 7-for-36 (.194) with three walks and 15 strikeouts in 19 games.
Sanchez was rated by Baseball America as the Angels’ No. 2 prospect at the time of the trade 2015 trade. In his second season with the Braves’ low Single-A Rome affiliate this year, he’s 6-9 with a 5.20 ERA in 20 games (19 starts), with 82 strikeouts in 97 innings, but also 44 walks and 14 homers allowed.
