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Atlanta Braves to Give Kyle Farmer a Change of Scenery in Upcoming Rehab Stint
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- Atlanta Braves to Give Kyle Farmer a Change of Scenery in Upcoming Rehab Stint
(Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Kyle Farmer 's rehab assignment will begin Tuesday at Double-A Columbus, but the most notable part of the assignment may have little to do with his right forearm.
The Atlanta Braves announced Monday that Farmer will join the Columbus Clingstones as he works his way back from the forearm strain that has sidelined him since mid-May. On the surface, it looks like a routine rehab assignment for a veteran utility player who appeared in just 10 games before landing on the injured list.
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The details suggest something more deliberate.
According to MLB.com's Mark Bowman , Farmer will spend part of the assignment reacquainting himself with the catcher position. It's a role he hasn't played in a game since 2019, despite originally entering professional baseball as a catcher after being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers .
Braves manager Walt Weiss made it clear the organization sees value in exploring that possibility.
"Farmer's gonna go out and play, man. He's gonna catch a lot," Weiss said, according to AJC's Chad Bishop . "I think there's a path to our roster for a guy that can do what he does and can catch."
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That comment may reveal as much about Atlanta's roster construction as it does Farmer's versatility.
When the Braves signed Farmer before the season, the appeal was obvious. He brought experience at every infield position and a lengthy major league track record spanning parts of 10 seasons. What never really materialized, however, was a consistent role. Before his injury, Farmer logged only 15 plate appearances across 10 games.
Ha-Seong Kim has struggled since returning to the active roster, while Jorge Mateo has hit just .120 during June. At the same time, Atlanta has spent much of the season navigating instability behind the plate. Injuries and roster shuffling have forced the organization to cycle through multiple catchers, creating an environment where additional flexibility carries more value than it might under normal circumstances.
That doesn't necessarily mean the Braves envision Farmer as a regular catcher. In fact, the move may be more about expanding his usefulness than changing his position outright.
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Farmer logged nearly 2,800 innings behind the plate during his minor league career before transitioning elsewhere. The experience is there, even if it hasn't been utilized recently. Farmer has appeared in just 19 major league games as a catcher and hasn't caught an inning in either the majors or minors since 2019.
Still, the Braves appear interested in finding out how much of that background remains.
Weiss acknowledged Farmer is enthusiastic about the opportunity despite the long layoff. "He's looking forward to it. He's really excited about it," he said, via Bishop .
The Braves see this rehab assignment as an opportunity to find out whether one veteran can give them another option behind the plate. That's the real value here. In a season defined by roster churn, the players who stick around are often the ones who can solve more than one problem.
