In case you missed it, Pierce Johnson has been placed on the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation. In a corresponding move Jackson Stephens has taken his place on the active roster.
Stephens is a fine pitcher, but I’m not so sure this move is permanent. He’s more of a long reliever that can take care of mop-up work in garbage time, which is a role currently occupied by Jesse Chavez. However, the Braves do have an arm in Gwinnett with plenty of experience in high leverage situations, longtime closer Ken Giles.
Giles was once one of the more feared relievers in baseball, but the injury bug struck, which has limited him to just nine big-league appearances since 2020. When his name appeared on the Braves non-roster invitee list to Spring Training, it understandably caught a lot of eyes, and he impressed. So much so, he had a real chance of making the team, but for roster purposes, it made more sense to start him Gwinnett.
That’s no longer the case with Pierce Johnson down, and Ken Giles has been lights out recently in Gwinnett. He owns a 2.45 ERA and has not given up a run in his last six innings, allowing just two hits with no walks. He makes a lot more sense to replace Johnson, especially if this turns out to be something that keeps him out for multiple months. I expect to see Ken Giles in Atlanta very soon.
More must-reads: