Atlanta Braves place Jordan Walden on disabled list; recall Ian Thomas from Gwinnett

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Jordan Walden (52) and catcher Evan Gattis (24) celebrate their win against the New York Mets at Citi Field. The Braves defeated the Mets 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves righted the ship with a walk-off win on Friday night, but unfortunately, the positives from that victory could not prevent a player injury issue over the weekend. The team announced on Saturday morning that reliever Jordan Walden is headed to the disabled list as a result of a strained left hamstring, and in his place, Atlanta has recalled left-hander Ian Thomas from triple-A Gwinnett.

The 26-year-old Walden was last seen in a game on May 4th, when he allowed two earned runs (including a home run) against the San Francisco Giants. His absence was a bit conspicuous since that outing, and this announcement brings some clarity to that situation, as well as allowing Walden’s DL stint to be retroactive by a few days. The hard-throwing Walden has a 2.92 ERA and a strikeout rate of 13.86 batters per 9 innings this season, though, so his presence will be missed.

Thomas has spent the majority of the season with the big league club, but he was demoted in order to activate Gavin Floyd less than a week ago. In ten appearances, the 27-year-old has a 4.26 ERA, but eight of his ten outings have resulted in scoreless performance. He will fortify the admittedly weak left side of the bullpen for the time being, although he is the most likely candidate to head back to the minors when Walden returns.