The Braves announced that right-hander Carlos Carrasco is selected in the active program. The right hand JR Ritchie was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in the accompanying move, and no further action was necessary as Atlanta had an open spot on its 40-man roster.
It is now Atlanta’s sixth minor league option on Carrasco this season, as the veteran right-hander serves as the 41st man on the team’s roster. If the pattern holds, Carrasco will be offered an assignment within a week, then resign and decline an outright assignment in favor of free agency, and the 39-year-old will quickly re-sign with the Braves on a new major league contract to return to Gwinnett and start the cycle all over again.
The situation allowed Carrasco to serve as a freshman arm whenever the Braves needed some innings. Ritchie threw three innings of relief in Saturday’s 14-3 win over the Mets, so he will return to the minors while Carrasco joins the bullpen to back up the veteran. Martin Perez at today’s scheduled start. The Braves are six games out of 13 games in as many days heading into the All-Star break, so the club is turning to Carrasco, Ritchie, and a few other pitchers as long relief depth to keep the regular starters and relievers fresh.
While the trade carousel has been the main story of Carrasco’s 17th MLB season, the 39-year-old has been efficient in terms of results. Carrasco has a 3.68 ERA and a minuscule 1.6% walk rate over 14 2/3 innings and seven appearances, though the righty has a 9.8% strikeout rate.
