The Atlanta Braves announced two additions to the active roster this morning, taking advantage of MLB's September increase to the size of the active roster by adding LHP Dylan Lee and OF Forrest Wall.
Lee, 29, has been a trusted reliever for Atlanta over the last two seasons when healthy. After putting up a 5-1 record and 2.13 ERA in 46 appearances last year, covering 50.2 innings, Lee was poised to repeat that excellence this season until "shoulder inflammation" put him on the 15-day IL in mid-May. Prior to the injury, Lee was 1-0 with a 3.10 ERA in 20.1 innings for Atlanta, mostly working in a single inning role but also serving as an opener in a bullpen game.
However, his injury turned out to be more than just mild inflammation, as Lee was later moved to the 60-man injured list. He's been rehabbing in AAA Gwinnett, where he's pitched in seven games and holds a 1-1 record with four strikeouts in 7.1 innings.
His return gives Atlanta a third left in the pen, joining AJ Minter and Brad Hand, and another option for medium-leverage relief.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Lee, OF Sam Hilliard was transferred to the 60-day IL, ending his season. He went to the injured list in mid-July with a heel injury and re-injured it during his early-August rehab assignment in AAA Gwinnett.
Also joining the roster is OF Forrest Wall. The 27 year-old, who joined Atlanta in the offseason on a minor league contract, joined the active roster in July for depth and got into parts of four games in Atlanta. He also registered his first big-league hit in hilarious fashion against the Mets before later being optioned back to AAA Gwinnett in mid August.
Wall's role on this team is clearly pinch-running, as he's 261/337 in his minor league career and 52/60 this season for Gwinnett. He stole two bases in two pitches during his first big-league appearance, when inserted as a pinch-runner against Milwaukee in the 9th inning of a game soon after being called up.
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