Philadelphia Phillies Veteran Reliever Claimed off Waivers by NL East Rival

The Philadelphia Phillies rolled the dice on a veteran reliever, and it didn’t pay off as he was claimed by a NL East rival.

It’s possible the Philadelphia Phillies will see reliever Jose Ruiz again soon. It’s just won’t be in a Phillies uniform.

On Saturday, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Ruiz, who was designated for assignment on June 1, was claimed by the Atlanta Braves in a move to bolster their bullpen after designating former Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel for assignment.

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Philadelphia designated him for assignment the same day it called up Seth Johnson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Johnson has since been optioned back in favor of Alan Rangel and Daniel Robert.

Ruiz was in his second season with the Phillies and missed part of the campaign with an injury. In 16 games he went 1-0 with an 8.16 ERA, as he struck out 12 and walked six in 14.1 innings. He also had three holds.

He went on the 15-day injured list on May 1 and returned on May 18 after a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

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In 2024 he was an exceptional bullpen option for Philadelphia. He went 5-1 with a 3.71 ERA in 52 games, with 52 strikeouts and 17 walks in 51 innings. He also had a save.

The right-hander has been a solid relief option since he broke into the Majors in 2017 with the San Diego Padres. He has a career record of 11-9 with a 4.55 ERA, with 20 holds and one save in 280 career appearances. He’s struck out 281 and walked 150 in 284.2 career innings.

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