{"id":793675,"date":"2026-07-30T16:38:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T16:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/793675\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T16:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T16:38:16","slug":"with-robert-suarezs-return-to-braves-bullpen-still-unclear-trade-options-abound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/793675\/","title":{"rendered":"With Robert Suarez\u2019s return to Braves bullpen still unclear, trade options abound"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK \u2014 While all the attention was on Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr.\u2019s return to the Atlanta Braves on Monday at Citi Field, there was one notable absence in the clubhouse.<\/p>\n

Reliever Robert Suarez, sidelined with forearm tightness for more than a month, was not present among his teammates. Given that Braves manager Walt Weiss said last week that Suarez had started playing catch at Truist Park, Suarez\u2019s absence was significant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping he\u2019d be back by now,\u201d Weiss said. \u201cIt\u2019s taken longer than we all thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suarez, who last pitched June 19, was a big part of the Braves\u2019 early-season success. He was arguably the best reliever in baseball at the time of his injury, sporting a 0.56 ERA, and he hadn\u2019t given up a run since May 22.<\/p>\n

With Suarez\u2019s timeline to return still unclear, the Braves\u2019 need to acquire another reliever before Monday\u2019s trade deadline has only become clearer. Even if Suarez returns before the postseason, his extended absence has already exposed the bullpen\u2019s cracks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s a reliever, we would jump at that,\u201d president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said on MLB Network Radio<\/a> on July 19. \u201cWe see it all the time in the playoffs with all the off days; not that many guys are going deep in terms of starts. Having a deep bullpen is pretty important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are some relievers who could fit Atlanta\u2019s needs:<\/p>\n

Adrian Morejon, LHP, San Diego Padres<\/p>\n

Last week, The Athletic reported that the Padres had scouts at High-A Rome watching Braves prospects. Morejon, the left-handed power reliever in his final arbitration year making $3.9 million, is a prototypical Braves deadline acquisition. Armed with an upper-90s fastball, strong run-suppression metrics and elite raw talent, Morejon offers high-leverage versatility and the ability to work multiple innings. He also has a 27 percent strikeout rate, which would make for an interesting fit alongside fellow lefties Dylan Lee and Dylan Dodd.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n John Schreiber has been a consistent reliever for several seasons. (Ezra Shaw \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

John Schreiber, RHP, Kansas City Royals<\/p>\n

Schreiber attacks hitters from a low arm slot, leaning primarily on a sweeper and sinker that help him generate weak contact. He has been a reliable reliever since 2022, with a 3.39 ERA, 264 strikeouts in 268 innings and a 1.231 WHIP over 288 games during that span. His unusual delivery has been especially effective against right-handed hitters, who have batted .178 against him this year. His ability to keep the ball on the ground also makes him an appealing option.<\/p>\n

Kirby Yates, RHP, Los Angeles Angels<\/p>\n

Yates is no stranger to Atlanta after spending 2022 and 2023 with the Braves. The 39-year-old has posted a 3.76 ERA and 1.139 WHIP with 35 strikeouts over 26 1\/3 innings for the Angels this season. His splitter remains his best weapon, generating plenty of swings-and-misses. He could be another late-inning option for Atlanta.<\/p>\n

Emerson Hancock, RHP, Seattle Mariners<\/p>\n

Hancock isn\u2019t a relief pitcher. But he is under control through 2030, so he would provide starting pitching depth for a few years to come. On the other hand, if Hancock is added, that would mean Mart\u00edn P\u00e9rez, Grant Holmes or Reynaldo L\u00f3pez could find their way back to the bullpen. It seems like Holmes or L\u00f3pez would be the likeliest candidates, considering P\u00e9rez is left-handed. Both L\u00f3pez and Holmes can come into high-leverage situations and go multiple innings. That could be especially important during the playoffs.<\/p>\n

AJ Smith-Shawver makes long-awaited return<\/p>\n

It had been over a year since AJ Smith-Shawver last pitched in a major league game. On Wednesday, the 23-year-old finally made his return.<\/p>\n

He delivered 4 1\/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and striking out four while throwing 69 pitches (43 for strikes) in his first MLB start since having Tommy John surgery in June 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of ups and downs along that road on the way back, so it\u2019s a grind,\u201d Weiss said. \u201cI thought he handled himself really well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith-Shawver\u2019s fastball consistently touched the upper 90s, and his slider showed the sharp break that made him one of baseball\u2019s top young pitchers before his injury. While there were moments when his command wasn\u2019t as crisp, he showed his stuff remains viable against major-league hitters. If he can consistently recapture his pre-surgery form, Smith-Shawver would be a valuable asset for a team looking for pitching reinforcement.<\/p>\n

For now, the right-hander is headed back to Triple A after Wednesday\u2019s afternoon game. He was only up as the extra player for the doubleheader, which the Braves split with the New York Mets. His future role will become clearer after the deadline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK \u2014 While all the attention was on Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr.\u2019s return to the Atlanta Braves on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":793676,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[2111,363,99],"class_list":["post-793675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-atlanta-braves","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=793675"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793675\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/793676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=793675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=793675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=793675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}