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Braves Designate Elieser Hernández for Assignment After 3 Consecutive Wins
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- Braves Designate Elieser Hernández for Assignment After 3 Consecutive Wins
The Atlanta Braves have won three in a row against some division rivals in the New York Mets and Washington Nationals . Atlanta is now 65-45, first place in the National League East by eight games.
Amid this recent stretch of play, the club has used 31-year-old Elieser Hernández as a back-end relief arm. In two games, he threw six innings with one earned run. He struck out six and walked four.
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It was Hernández's first appearance in MLB since 2024; he spent 2025 in the KBO. While the right-hander was effective, it seems as though the Braves think he will not project well for future appearances.
On Saturday, the club announced on their official X account that Hernández was to be designated for assignment. It will be another right-handed reliever in James Karinchak getting the call from Triple-A.
Karinchak, a former standout for the Cleveland Guardians , was previously on the Braves' roster for about a month from early June to early July. The fact that Hernández was DFA'd suggests Karinchak will be up for an extended period.
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In nine games this year, the 30-year-old has tossed 9 ⅔ innings. He has pitched to a 1.86 ERA, striking out eight and walking five. Karinchak previously had not appeared in MLB since 2023 due to command issues and injuries.
Across a larger sample size at Triple-A Gwinnett this year, the right-hander threw 28 innings with a 2.57 ERA and 44 strikeouts. Braves manager Walt Weiss used Karinchak as a low-leverage guy for the most part during his June stint in MLB.
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss (22)Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images
Atlanta seems to be trying to find consistent options at the back end of their bullpen. This season, that pen has been one of the best in baseball. They have 3.65 ERA over 404 ⅓ innings pitched, the ERA of which ranks sixth in MLB.
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The Braves are on the come-up after a 10-19 stretch from early June through the All-Star break. They will host the Nationals on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET with Reynaldo López (4-3, 3.64 ERA) getting the start.
Related: Braves Facing Roster Decision Amid Andrew McCutchen Development
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
