Braves pitching coach Rick Kranitz is away this weekend on a personal matter. His absence isn’t expected to be more than a couple of days.
Bullpen coach Marty Reed will fill in as pitching coach. Reed, who joined manager Brian Snitker’s staff in May 2016, served as Triple-A Gwinnett’s pitching coach for over five seasons after coaching Double-A Mississippi arms for two campaigns.
As part of the Braves’ temporary reshuffling, Eddie Perez will be in uniform as bullpen coach. Perez has coached under managers Bobby Cox, Fredi Gonzalez and Brian Snitker during his lengthy tenure. He was dismissed as hitting coach in 2017, but remained with the organization as a roving instructor.
Perez has spent more than two decades with the Braves as a coach and player. He coached for 11 seasons with the franchise and had two stints with the team as a player (1995-2001, 2004-05). He was well-received for his enthusiastic and playful personality.
The former catcher was a postseason standout for the golden-era Braves, hitting .299 across 30 games, including posting a robust 1.250 OPS in four National League Championship Series (15 games). He was named NLCS MVP in 1999.
Then managing Double-A Mississippi, Cox tapped Perez as his bullpen coach for 2007. He remained in that capacity under Gonzalez before shifting to first-base coach for Snitker. Friday marks his first day back in a Braves uniform since the conclusion of the 2017 season.
