Things are starting to look up for the Atlanta Braves bullpen, and it begins with a quiet but important return: Daysbel Hernández is back on the mound—and back in business.
In his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Gwinnett, Hernández tossed a clean, scoreless inning against the Norfolk Tides. No hits. No walks. One strikeout.
That is just what the Braves were hoping to see after nearly a month on the injured list with right forearm inflammation. Oh, and for those scoreboard watchers out there—yes, he picked up a hold. Just a little something for the stat line.
A Return to Stability at the Back End
Hernández had been a major part of Atlanta’s bullpen success earlier this season, settling into the eighth-inning setup role with confidence. In 25 appearances before the injury, he posted a 2.22 ERA and consistently bridged the gap between the seventh and the closer’s mound.
That consistency vanished in early June when he left mid-inning against the Red Sox after a pitch clearly didn’t look right. It was later confirmed to be forearm inflammation, and he was placed on the IL on June 6, retroactive to June 5.
Now, a clean first outing on rehab gives Atlanta something to work with—and maybe something to build on.
Braves Bullpen Starting to Click
The bullpen has held its own in his absence. Raisel Iglesias has been rock-solid lately, tossing eight straight scoreless outings. Dylan Lee? He hasn’t allowed a run since before Hernández got hurt—back on May 25. Suddenly, the back-end trio the Braves envisioned earlier this year is almost ready to reassemble: Lee in the seventh, Hernández in the eighth, Iglesias locking it down in the ninth.
Of course, manager Brian Snitker has options. If matchups dictate, the Braves could flip the script—maybe sliding Hernández into different spots or using Lee as a lefty matchup weapon earlier. But given how well the Lee-Hernández-Iglesias sequence worked earlier in the year, it’s hard not to imagine Snitker giving that trio a chance to pick up where they left off.
Hernández’s return is one of those under-the-radar developments that could swing games in a tight playoff race. Atlanta doesn’t need to reinvent the bullpen. They just need to get their guys back.
