Braves See Long Reliever Claimed Off Waivers By A's

A long reliever is out of the Atlanta Braves organization. The Athletics announced that they claimed right-hander Connor Thomas off waivers from the team on Thursday.

At some point recently, he was designated for assignment by the team. According to his transaction log, he was optioned on Wednesday. The Braves must have decided they were willing to lose him to another team in order to clear a space on the 40-man.

Thomas made one appearance for the team this year, and it was nightmarish. He allowed 11 earned runs over 2 2/3 innings on Monday against the New York Mets. A 3-3 tie became a 14-3 loss in a hurry.

It's hard to fault the Braves for taking that risk. The pitching staff needed the innings that it was worth ultimately punting the game to live another day. The Braves lost the series, taking the series finale on Wednesday.

Eleiser Hernández was selected the following day to take his spot on the active roster. So, they still have a long reliever available for the upcoming Nationals series. Knowing that one, maybe two, of the scheduled starters could be expected to give the team more than five innings, he'll likely come in handy over the next few days.

The next off day is on Monday, Aug. 3.

Thursday marks the start of a four-game series with the Washington Nationals. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m., and Grant Holmes will be on the mound to start the game.

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