If you had “Jesse Chavez re-signs with the Braves” on your 2025 baseball bingo card… congrats, but at this point, you should’ve had it. The fan-favorite right-hander made his sixth stint with the Braves official on Monday when Atlanta purchased his contract from Triple-A Gwinnett.
But in true Chavez fashion, it was a blink-and-you-missed-it cameo.
One Game In, One Game Out
Chavez pitched two innings in Monday’s 6-1 loss to the Dodgers, giving up one run on two hits with one strikeout. Less than 24 hours later, the Braves designated the 41-year-old for assignment to make room for right-hander Zach Thompson, who was called up Tuesday.
A moment of silence for the shortest reunion yet in what’s become one of the strangest — and most endearing — relationships in baseball.
The Braves King of the Comeback
Chavez’s Braves timeline reads like a baseball novella:
- 2010: The first stint. A different era.
- 2021: Signs a Minor League deal, joins midseason, and helps win the World Series. Legend status initiated.
- 2022: Comes back twice — once from the Cubs, then again after a brief Angels detour in the Raisel Iglesias trade.
- 2023: Full-season contributor with a dazzling first half (1.32 ERA through June), but fades down the stretch.
- 2024: Signs with the White Sox, gets released, ends up in a Braves jersey again by Opening Day.
- 2025: Starts with the Rangers, ends up — where else? — Back in Atlanta before the calendar turns to April.
And now? DFA’d once more. But if we’ve learned anything, it’s this: he’ll probably be back.
A Familiar Face in a Time of Chaos
Chavez’s reappearance provided a small lift on what was otherwise a rough day for the Braves. Jurickson Profar was hit with an 80-game PED suspension, and Reynaldo López — one of Atlanta’s best arms this season — landed on the IL with shoulder inflammation.
In stepped Chavez, like a comforting baseball blanket. He didn’t dominate, but he ate two innings, saved the bullpen, and brought smiles in the dugout. That’s what he’s done for years now — with swagger, veteran grit, and glasses that have seen about a dozen stadiums’ worth of action.
What Comes Next? Braves History Repeats Itself
So what now? Well, the Braves have DFA’d Chavez before — multiple times — and he’s come back each time. If he clears waivers, there’s a real chance he heads back to Gwinnett and waits for his next call. With Atlanta’s pitching depth being tested daily, don’t be shocked if that call comes soon. Again.
There’s only one certainty: Jesse Chavez is the boomerang of Atlanta Braves baseball. You toss him out — and somehow, some way, he comes flying back.
