Latest roster change could mark end of pitcher’s stay in Atlanta

On Sunday morning, the Atlanta Braves announced they had sent left-handed pitcher Ray Kerr to Gwinnett and added Grant Holmes to the major league roster. To make room for Holmes on the 40-man roster, the Braves recalled Huascar Ynoa from Gwinnett and placed him on the 60-day IL.

Ynoa played a key role for the Braves in 2021, starting 17 games in 2021. Most of his success came in the first half of this season, as he had a 3.02 ERA in eight starts (nine games ) before breaking his hand in Milwaukee. after a difficult start.

Ynoa returned in 2021 and started nine additional games, but only started one game in the postseason. In 2022, he pitched in just two games in the bigs, then succumbed to a UCL injury that required Tommy John.

This year, Ynoa started the season at Gwinnett but hasn’t pitched since April, when he left his third start of the season with elbow soreness. With Ynoa on 60 days IL, the earliest he could return is August 14, and it’s likely the Braves won’t use him at all at the major league level.

Grant Holmes was drafted in the first round in 2014 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a top-100 prospect in 2015, 2016 and 2017, but he never found the success the Dodgers, and later the Oakland Athletics, hoped for.

Holmes was with the A’s organization until 2022, when he was released in July. The Braves signed him shortly after, but he only pitched three games in the organization in 2022.

The 28-year-old spent the last two years in Gwinnett, posting a 3.18 ERA in 102 innings over both seasons. Holmes has started three games this year and can give the Braves several innings.

Holmes throws four pitches. His fastball averages 95.1 MPH, which he throws 44.1% of the time. It also throws a slider, curve and cutter.

This season, he has struck out 30.4% of the batters he has faced and has struck out 8.9% of batters.

This is Holmes’ first time on an MLB roster, so after ten years in the minors, the former first-round pick will finally get his chance in the bigs.