The Atlanta Braves are playing out the string, and at this point, they just need bodies to close out the season. A season that began with playoff expectations has devolved to a 64-79 record entering Monday, and the Braves are at the point of the year where they throw something at the wall to see if it can be a potential piece for 2026, and their latest experiment was John Brebbia.
An eight-year MLB veteran, Brebbia was signed to a minor league contract back on June 24 for his second stint with the Braves. But after three appearances, the Braves decided to throw in the towel, as the team announced they have designated the right-hander for assignment.
John Brebbia’s Struggles Didn’t Get Better in Second Stint with Braves
Brebbia’s career has had plenty of highs and lows in recent years as he’s proven to be a volatile arm out of the bullpen. The best years of his career came between the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the San Francisco Giants, where he posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 116 appearances but things unraveled quickly when he posted a 6.29 ERA in 54 appearances after signing with the White Sox before the 2024 season.
When things cratered in Chicago, the Braves were a soft landing spot as Brebbia allowed two runs with two walks and nine strikeouts over 6.2 innings (five appearances) at the end of the 2024 season and parlayed that to earn an opportunity with the Detroit Tigers this season.
Unfortunately, Brebbia’s second stop in the American League Central ended like the first one as he was tagged with a 7.71 ERA over 22 appearances and designated for assignment. Likely remembering the good vibes from the end of last year, Brebbia went back to Atlanta, but the results weren’t the same, allowing four earned runs and two homers to go with a walk and six strikeouts over 4.2 innings (three appearances).
With Brebbia not looking like himself, the Braves opted to go with a younger flier down the stretch after claiming 28-year-old Alexis Díaz off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend. Now towards the end of his second season in turmoil, Brebbia will likely have to wait until next winter for another opportunity and hope that his career isn’t ending as he heads into his age-33 season.