**Braves Promote Hurston Waldrep to MLB, Option Daysbel Hernandez**
On Sunday, the Atlanta Braves announced the promotion of their top pitching prospect, Hurston Waldrep, to the MLB roster. The Braves have struggled recently, down two games to one in their series against the Washington Nationals, but hope to split the series with a win before heading to Baltimore to face the Orioles.
The series against the Nationals has been disappointing for fans, particularly due to the lack of offensive production. In game two, Chris Sale pitched seven strong innings but received no run support.
Atlanta has been heavily reliant on its pitching depth following Spencer Strider’s season-ending injury. This has led to opportunities for emerging prospects, including Spencer Schwellenbach, who has shown promise in his first two starts despite some struggles.
In line with this trend, the Braves officially promoted Hurston Waldrep, who will make his MLB debut in the series finale against Washington. This decision followed his recent promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett. To accommodate Waldrep on the roster, the Braves optioned Daysbel Hernandez to Triple-A and transferred Ronald Acuña Jr. to the 60-day IL.
Hernandez was briefly with the team, having been called up to replace Jimmy Herget, who is on the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation. Despite the constant changes, fans are eager to see Waldrep and his impressive splitter.
Waldrep, Atlanta’s first-round pick last season, started 2024 with Double-A Mississippi, where he initially struggled but has since found his rhythm. He has a 3.09 ERA over 55.1 innings with 18 walks and 59 strikeouts. Command issues have been his main challenge, but the Braves were aware of this when they drafted him.
His promotion followed a dominant performance with the Gwinnett Stripers, where he struck out 11 and walked one against a strong Norfolk Tides team featuring top MLB prospect Jackson Holliday.
Waldrep is enthusiastic about his MLB debut and aims to demonstrate why the Braves have high expectations for him. He will wear number 30, previously worn by former Braves starter Kyle Wright. Fans are excited to see Waldrep in action as the Braves aim to secure a win before leaving Washington.
Leave a Reply