Braves Claim Relief Pitcher Off Waivers From Tigers

The Atlanta Braves made the move to add another right-handed reliever to their depth. The team announced on Wednesday afternoon that they claimed Ricky Vanasco off waivers from the Detroit Tigers.

He has been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Coincidentally, the Braves claimed a pitcher that the Tigers designated for assignment to make room on the roster for right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley.

Kinley had been released by the Braves over the weekend, a few days after he was designated for assignment by the team to make room for AJ Smith-Shawver.

Vanasco has only made a handful of major league appearances this season to shaky results. In five appearances, he's allowed 11 earned runs across 6 1/3 innings pitched.

Down in Triple-A, he's had some success. In 35 games this season for Toledo, he had a 2.53 ERA.

Knowing that the Braves have a tendency to cycle through arms, maybe he comes up at some point this season. There is some leeyway to give him a shot since he has options, but it seems high unlikely. Once the rosters expand in a few days, the odds may slightly increase that he gets a call.

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