Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said the team decided to add right-hander Ryan Weber to the bullpen because they were lacking a true long reliever and could use one because of some short outings recently from starters.
The Braves placed infielder Gordon Beckham on the disabled list Monday and opted to replace him with Weber from Triple-A Gwinnett rather than another position player. They now have 12 position players and 13 pitchers on the roster.
Gonzalez said Weber could stay with the big-league club for a while if he shows he can fill the long relief role.
“I think we need to be able to have that extra guy available if needed,” Gonzalez said. “We have a lot of guys in our bullpen that are matchup guys. We’ve gone through four or five relievers in the last few ballgames. Having an extra pitcher gives us more flexibility.”
Weber appeared in five games for the Braves in 2015, all starts, and posted a 4.76 ERA over 28 1/3 innings. In three relief appearances with Gwinnett this season, Weber didn’t allow a run or issue a walk over 8 1/3 innings.
