Atlanta Braves designate Elieser Hernández after strong debut, highlighting roster churn

The Atlanta Braves called up right‑hander Elieser Hernández from Triple‑A Gwinnett, and he delivered three scoreless innings in relief, earning the win in his first major‑league appearance since 2024. Despite the performance, Braves manager Walt Weiss immediately designated him for assignment, citing the restrictive 13‑pitcher roster limit that forces teams to shuffle effective arms.

Weiss’ criticism underscores a broader issue of roster churn in MLB, prompting the players’ union to propose rule changes, including allowing pitchers optioned after at least nine outs or 50 pitches to retain major‑league pay and service time, and reducing the yearly optional‑assignment cap from five to three. Hernández, a 31‑year‑old who previously pitched for the KBO’s LG Twins and the Marlins, has struggled to replicate earlier success at the major‑league level, posting a 6.11 ERA over 81 MLB appearances. The Braves also optioned left‑hander Connor Thomas to make room for Hernández, and a postponed Braves‑Mets game will be followed by a doubleheader, with right‑hander AJ Smith‑Shawver expected to return from the injured list.