After Anyelo Gomez gave up nine runs and two homers in his past two relief appearances for the Braves, he was returned Tuesday to the Yankees, from whence he came in the December Rule 5 Draft.
The right-hander was rocked for eight hits, nine earned runs and two walks in three combined innings during Grapefruit League appearances March 13 and Saturday, raising his spring-training ERA to 10.80 in seven games.
He allowed 10 hits, including three homers, in 8 1/3 innings with four walks and six strikeouts before being shown the door.
The Braves had reasonably high hopes for Gomez, 25, after taking him in the Rule 5 Draft. After all, he was coming off a career-best 2017 season in which he posted a 1.92 ERA in 38 appearances at four minor league levels and totaled a whopping 87 strikeouts with 21 walks and only two homers allowed in 70 1/3 innings.
He also pitched well this winter in his native Dominican Republic.
But his recent struggles were alarming enough for the Braves to know they didn’t want to keep him on their 25-man roster, which would’ve been required for the entire season per Rule 5 rules.
They would’ve had to offer him back to the Yankees for half of the original $100,000 claiming price at any point this season if they took him off the major league roster, and the Braves ended the suspense with just over a week left in camp, returning him to the Yankees for $50,000.
The Braves have another one former Rule 5 pick, righty Dan Winkler, who must spend the first few weeks of the season on the major league roster to fulfill his Rule 5 obligations after missing much of the past three seasons recovering from a pair of elbow surgeries.
Winkler pitched well after being activated late in the 2017 season. He has a 6.37 ERA in six appearances this spring, though he has six strikeouts with two hits, two walks and one run allowed in three innings over his past three outings.
