Familiar faces continue to make their way back to the Atlanta Braves / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves switch up the roster again, bringing back a couple familiar faces from their World Series run.
Right-handed pitcher Ian Anderson has officially reported to the Major League club and they have signed outfielder Eddie Rosario to a Major League contract. In corresponding moves, outfielder Jarred Kelenic and right-hander Davis Daniel were optioned to Triple-A. They also designated righty Zach Thompson for assignment.
Anderson was DFA’d by the Los Angeles Angels just over a month after he was acquired by them from the Braves in a trade. Anderson had seven appearances for the Angels. He allowed 12 earned runs (11.57 ERA) over 9 1/3 innings pitched and had a .386 opponent’s average and a 2.57 WHIP. The Braves DFA’d the pitcher they got in the trade, Jose Suárez, as well, declaring the whole trade a wash.
Rosario spent Spring Training and the start of the regular season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had four at-bats, picking up a base hit, before being DFA’d and electing free agency April 25. He last appeared with the Braves last season. He batted .154 and had a .463 OPS in 24 games before being released.
He played for the Braves over parts of four seasons, initially being acquired at the trade deadline in 2021. He was named the NLCS MVP that postseason.
Kelenic was acquired in a trade ahead of last season. He was a top prospect for the Seattle Mariners for a few years but has yet to find his footing at the Major League level. In 60 at-bats this season, Kelenic is batting .167 with a .531 OPS. He joins Bryan De La Cruz, who he started off the season platooning with, in Gwinnett.
With the recent rise of Eli White and the addition of Rosario, Kelenic was ultimately the odd man out. The struggles the Braves outfield has had at the plate made anyone not named Michael Harris II fair game to be moved around in the effort to improve production.
Daniel never appeared in a game for the Braves after recently being called up. Thompson has pitched in two games for the Braves, allowing no runs over 3 2/3 innings pitched.
