Philadelphia Phillies Poach Former Atlanta Braves Pitcher

The Philadelphia Phillies added bullpen depth on Thursday by claiming right-hander Andrew Hoffmann off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The 26-year-old was immediately optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To clear a 40-man roster spot, the Phillies recalled infielder/outfielder Félix Reyes from Lehigh Valley and placed him on the 60-day injured list with a fractured right wrist.

Hoffmann had been designated for assignment by Arizona earlier in the week. Because he was on the minor-league injured list at the time, the Diamondbacks could only place him on release waivers. The Phillies decided to claim him despite the undisclosed injury that has kept him sidelined since June.

Hoffmann was originally selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Illinois. The 6-foot-5 right-hander from Joliet, Illinois, showed early promise in the Braves’ system, posting a 2.36 ERA over 80 innings at High-A Rome in 2022.

That July, Atlanta traded him along with outfielder Drew Waters and infielder C.J. Alexander to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for the 35th overall pick in the 2022 draft.

He made his major-league debut with the Royals on May 30, 2025. Kansas City later dealt him to Arizona in July 2025 for veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk. In 19 career MLB appearances totaling 23 2/3 innings, Hoffmann has a 6.85 ERA with 24 strikeouts.

This season, he struggled in eight outings for the Diamondbacks, posting a 7.71 ERA in 11 2/3 innings before being optioned. At Triple-A Reno he had a 6.08 ERA in 13 1/3 innings.

The Phillies appear drawn to his 2025 work after converting to a full-time reliever. That year he recorded a 3.19 ERA in 42 1/3 Triple-A innings with a strong 31.7 percent strikeout rate and 54.2 percent ground-ball rate. At 26 and with remaining options, Hoffmann remains controllable for several years if he can recapture that form.

Philadelphia has been adding pitching of late, including a recent deal with left-hander Nestor Cortes, as the club sits 4.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East after a six-game winning streak.

Hoffmann is not expected to contribute immediately in the majors but gives the organization extra relief depth at Lehigh Valley once healthy.

Reyes, who appeared in 12 games for Philadelphia earlier this season, suffered the wrist injury on a hit-by-pitch in Triple-A last weekend.

The 60-day IL move allows him to collect major-league service time and pay through the end of the regular season.