After a 13-0 beating at the hands of the Phillies, the Atlanta Braves wasted no time making a bullpen move. The club announced that right-hander Kevin Herget has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, with fellow righty Michael Petersen optioned back in a corresponding transaction.
Fresh Arm for a Worn-Out Pen
This is a textbook fresh-arm swap. Petersen had pitched on back-to-back nights—first tossing a scoreless frame against the Mets on Thursday, then logging two innings of one-run ball against the Phillies on Friday.
That outing marked his first stretch of back-to-back appearances this season. With a bullpen that soaked up six innings after Bryce Elder’s early exit, it was clear someone needed to make room for reinforcements.
Herget, 34, was claimed off waivers from the Mets back in May and has been quietly effective with Gwinnett since then. In 10 appearances, he’s posted a 3.86 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP across 11.2 innings. Not dominant, but solid—and, more importantly, fresh.
His lone MLB appearance this season came with the Mets when he threw two innings and allowed two runs (one earned) with three hits and a strikeout.
Petersen’s Up-and-Down Pattern Continues
For Petersen, it’s another short stay in the bigs. He’s been called up multiple times this season but has appeared in just four games. When given the chance, he’s performed well enough—posting a 4.05 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 6.2 innings. But with the Braves needing available arms more than long-term evaluations, Petersen heads back to Gwinnett in a numbers game shuffle.
Friday’s Blowout Not Entirely on the Braves Bullpen
Despite the lopsided final score, Atlanta’s bullpen didn’t wear the blame in Friday night’s blowout. Elder allowed 10 runs—nine of them unearned—across just two innings, thanks in large part to some brutal defense behind him.
After that, the actual relievers stepped in and gave the club six innings of one-run work. The two runs in the ninth? They came off position player Luke Williams, who was tasked with saving what was left of the pitching staff. For all intents and purposes, the bullpen had a solid night amid a messy loss.
With Herget in the fold, the Braves can at least exhale, knowing they’ve got another available arm for the next wave of innings. It’s not flashy, but these little swaps can mean a lot when the ‘pen’s been stretched thin night after night.
