Braves Making Troubling Announcement on Key Reliever

The Braves later provided a far more encouraging update on Suarez, as beat reporter Mark Bowman of MLB.com revealed that Suarez's MRI showed nothing else besides the inflammation. With no ligament damage to the elbow, the hope is that the 35-year-old can return after the All-Star break. However, because of how elbow issues can eventually result in Tommy John surgery, the Braves should avoid rushing Suarez back to action if he isn't ready.

Suarez had not pitched since June 19 and was unavailable for the past couple of days due to the issue. His IL stint will be retroactive to June 23 as a result.

Signing a three-year, $45 million contract this past offseason, Suarez has been everything the Braves could have hoped for. In 31 appearances, the righty boasts a microscopic 0.56 ERA and 0.84 WHIP, creating a seamless bridge to closer Raisel Iglesias. Suarez's stellar play, combined with that of fellow setup man Dylan Lee and Iglesias, has allowed Atlanta to effortlessly slam the door in the late innings of close games.

Despite not entering the major leagues until 2022 at age 31, Suarez quickly made a name for himself with the San Diego Padres as one of their most trusted relievers. This eventually resulted in him becoming the team's closer in 2024 and 2025; he proceeded to rack up a combined 76 saves (including an NL-leading 40 saves in 2025) while posting a 2.87 ERA, 3.17 FIP and 0.97 WHIP. Although Suarez transitioned back to the setup man role to join the Braves, that clearly wasn't a problem based on how well he's pitched this year.

With Suarez out, the Braves will lean on the left-handed Lee more often to set up Iglesias. Fortunately, with Lee being similarly dominant with a 1.04 ERA and 1.49 FIP, the Braves' bullpen should still be in good shape as they wait for the inflammation in Suarez's elbow to subside.