Today, the Braves announced that Michael Tonkin has been activated off the IL. In a corresponding move, Roddery Muñoz has been optioned back to AAA Gwinnett.
After not pitching in the majors for over five seasons, Tonkin has established himself as a critical piece of the bullpen for the Braves in 2023. He’s able to eat multiple innings, and more often than not, keep the Braves within striking distance. On the season, Tonkin owns a respectable 3.42 ERA to go along with a stingy 0.949 WHIP. He’s not much of a strikeout pitcher, but he gets the job done in one of the most thankless jobs in Major League Baseball.
We didn’t get an opportunity to see Muñoz make his MLB debut after being called up earlier this week, but that was to be expected. Unless the game was well out of hand, he was never going to be an option, and the Braves have been mired in some battles with their division rival over the past couple of days. Perhaps that moment happens later this season, but for now, the Braves bullpen is in a much better spot than it was yesterday.
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