September roster expansion gave the Atlanta Braves a chance to add some depth, but one of the two additions carries considerably more uncertainty than the other.
Kyle Farmer gives Atlanta a familiar name and some flexibility around the diamond, likely in a limited bench role. The more notable addition is Blake Burkhalter, who is joining the Braves' bullpen for the first time and will make his major-league debut whenever manager Walt Weiss calls on him.
Atlanta drafted Burkhalter in the second round in 2022, and he spent the early part of his professional career working as a starter. He split time between the rotation and bullpen last season before the Braves moved him into relief work full time this year.
Burkhalter put together a 1.26 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 11 walks in 35 2/3 innings across the minors, with most of those innings coming at Triple-A Gwinnett. That performance earned him a spot on Atlanta's roster Tuesday, when the Braves added him and Farmer as active rosters expanded.
Farmer's role is relatively easy to picture. Burkhalter's is not, at least not yet.
The Braves will have to determine how quickly they can trust the right-hander against major-league hitters, but his work in Gwinnett has given them a reason to find out.
And there is some context behind why the Braves are giving him the opportunity now.
Burkhalter was eligible for the Rule 5 draft last offseason after throwing 103 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. He wasn't selected, then missed the first two months of this season with a back injury.
Atlanta changed his role once he finally returned, and the results were hard to ignore.
At Triple-A, Burkhalter posted a 1.48 ERA and 2.77 FIP across 24 1/3 innings. He struck out nearly 30 percent of the hitters he faced while generating a 14.8 percent swinging-strike rate. Opponents made contact on just 70.8 percent of their swings against him.
The Braves also have an obvious reason to be interested in what his stuff looks like against big-league hitters. Burkhalter boasts a cutter SB Nation's Garrett Spain calls one of the best pitches in Atlanta's farm system, and his four-seam fastball has averaged 94.4 miles per hour.
That doesn't mean he's walking into a bullpen that desperately needs saving.
Atlanta's relievers have combined for a 3.39 ERA this season, which ranks fourth in the majors. But September gives the Braves room to see whether Burkhalter can become another option they trust before the postseason.
For him, the first appearance will carry a little more weight than simply being another September game.
He has spent the better part of four years working toward this moment, changed roles along the way and had an injury interrupt his season before it really got started.
Now the Braves finally get to find out what they have as they head back on the road for a two-game set against the Nationals.
