The Atlanta Braves made a predictable decision on Tuesday, jettisoning struggling reliever Wander Suero and designating the reliever for assignment, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The 33-year-old hurler owned an 11.37 ERA in five games (6 1/3 innings) with the Braves this season.
With how ugly the results were from the righty, it would be surprising to see the Braves retain a minor-league roster spot for such a frustrating pitcher. However, there is also an underwhelming lack of options that could offer Suero a second chance in a poorly stocked organization.
Suero's demotion wasn't the headline here; however, with prospect Hayden Harris earning a promotion from Triple-A Gwinnett. Considering the level of players the Braves are currently letting take the mound, this is a welcome promotion. They can allow Harris to get a cup of coffee in the season's final month and see if they have any hint that the reliever is ready to begin his career in the 2026 season.
Braves Promote Prized Prospect Hayden Harris to Begin September
To make room for Harris and newly claimed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, the Braves also demoted Hunter Stratton and moved Jurickson Profar to the paternity list. This move likely clears the way for Atlanta to get a better look at veteran Jake Fraley, who has gotten off to an incredibly hot start at the plate. The 30-year-old outfielder is slashing .385/.429/.462 through 14 plate appearances to begin his A-Town tenure.
While it is a small sample size, it is enough to demand Fraley's presence in Atlanta's lineup for the next handful of games.
For Profar, it is a break at the right time as the outfielder has cooled off after a sizzling final two weeks of August. It will be interesting to see how Atlanta manages its new additions and whether or not Kim and Fraley are both consistently featured in the lineup over the next weeks of the season. The bigger takeaway obviously remains the promotion of Harris.
The highly-touted pitching prospect has put together an incredibly strong 2025 season in the minors and deserves a look over the next month. Harris can be thrown into high-leverage and clean-up situations as the main goal, evaluating exactly what the Braves have moving forward. There are six years of team control remaining, leaving Harris as a potentially vital piece of the Atlanta pen for years to come.
If the results are strong, the Braves are at least one step closer to fixing an awful relief situation. While some arms have shown promise, there hasn't been a level of sustained production from any of Atlanta's current options. Even closer, Raisel Iglesias consistently imploded in the first months of the season.
No question, the arrival of Harris is welcome and hopefully provides Braves fans with a bright spot in what has been an incredibly gloomy season.