The Braves made a flurry of roster moves Saturday, and the biggest news is that infielder Ha-Seong Kim is headed to the 10-day injured list with right middle finger inflammation, retroactive to July 1. That’s a tough break for a team that’s already been banged up all season.
Kim signed with Atlanta in the offseason hoping to bounce back after a down year, but it’s been brutal. Through 27 games he’s hitting just .068 with a .171 on-base percentage and exactly zero extra-base hits. He started the year on the IL too, and he’s never really looked right at the plate since coming back. The Braves are probably hoping a couple weeks off resets things, but it’s not like he was producing before.
The corresponding move? Atlanta recalled right-hander JR Ritchie, their No. 2 prospect, from Triple-A Gwinnett. This is his second taste of the big leagues after making his MLB debut earlier this year. The numbers weren’t pretty the first time around — a 4.87 ERA over eight appearances, seven of them starts — but the stuff is legit. Ritchie has a 3.22 ERA across nine minor league starts this season, and the organization still believes he can be a factor down the stretch.
Also on Saturday, the Braves returned infielder Kyle Farmer from his rehab assignment and reinstated him from the IL. And to make room on the 40-man, they optioned Anthony Molina to Gwinnett.
Atlanta signed Andrew McCutchen on Friday, which adds a veteran presence to the outfield and gives the lineup another professional at-bat. But let’s be real: this team has been patching holes all year with duct tape and hope. Every time they get one guy back, somebody else goes down.
The Braves host the Mets on Saturday night at Truist Park, and they’re up 1-0 in the series after a 5-3 win Friday. First pitch is at 8:08 PM Eastern. Ritchie isn’t expected to start tonight, but expect to see him out of the bullpen if the game gets out of hand or they need length.
Kim’s IL stint is backdated to July 1, so he’s eligible to return as early as next week. But given his struggles, the Braves might take it slow and give him a full reset in Gwinnett first. That’s not official, but it would make sense.
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