Back of Braves bullpen takes another hit, Dylan Lee lands on IL

Following the first game of a doubleheader, the Braves optioned Dylan Lee to Triple-A Gwinnett, but the club has announced they’ve voided that and placed him on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation.

Lee initially missed more than three months due to left shoulder inflammation, so this isn’t a great sign for his prospects of making the postseason roster. He returned at the beginning of September when rosters expanded but hasn’t fared well. He allowed four earned runs in only 3.1 innings, appearing in Monday’s doubleheader, where he retired just one batter and allowed two to score.

As I said, Lee’s availability in the playoffs seems to be in doubt. He was likely in a competition with Brad Hand, who is a veteran lefty that Atlanta acquired at the trade deadline to add some depth from the left side behind A.J. Minter.

Suddenly, the Braves bullpen depth is an area of concern. Raisel Iglesias, A.J. Minter, Pierce Johnson, and Joe Jiménez are locks to make the postseason roster and will command all of the high-leverage opportunities.

That leaves a handful of roster spots in the bullpen between Kyle Wright, Kirby Yates, Brad Hand, Michael Tonkin, Ben Heller, and potentially Jesse Chavez and Nick Anderson depending on how they progress from their respective injuries.

Lee joins Collin McHugh on the injured list, which is certainly a blow to the back of the bullpen.