The Atlanta Braves have stumbled out of the gate, losing their first four games to the San Diego Padres. While there’s plenty of time left in the season, there are also a lot of concerns including the performance of Atlanta’s bullpen.
The Braves allowed nine earned runs in 12 innings during the series against the Padres. Hector Neris’s five-run performance on Opening Day didn’t help matters but it’s also a sign Atlanta could be looking for some help as they already added Craig Kimbrel late in Spring Training.
That could mean another reunion with a former reliever could be on the horizon. But the Braves can cross one name off that list, as a former pitcher made a surprising retirement decision over the weekend.
Former Braves Pitcher Jay Jackson Announces His Retirement
Jay Jackson has decided to hang up the cleats as he told FanSided’s Robert Murray that he has decided to retire after 17 seasons, including six in the major leagues.
Jackson was a ninth-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2008 draft but didn’t make his major league debut until 2015 with the San Diego Padres. Jackson allowed three runs in six games in San Diego before he signed with the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
Over the next three seasons, Jackson posted a 2.11 ERA across 175 innings, which helped him earn another opportunity in the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers. His return lasted one season before heading back to Japan to play with the Chiba Lotte Marines, but Jackson stuck in the majors for good when he signed with the San Francisco Giants in 2021, posting a 3.74 ERA in 21.2 innings.
Jackson signed with the Braves in 2022 but made just two appearances, spanning 1.1 innings. He had his best season with the Toronto Blue Jays, posting a 2.12 ERA in 25 appearances in 2023, before finishing his career by posting a 7.52 ERA in 20 appearances for the Minnesota Twins.
Although he signed with the Mexican League’s Bravos de Leon earlier this month, the 37-year-old has decided to retire, finishing with a 4.43 ERA in the major leagues.
Hopefully, the Braves won’t need a pitcher like Jackson, as the bullpen has plenty of time to shape up before their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.