Carlos Carrasco is back on the Braves active roster again. The right-hander was selected on July 5, 2026, while JR Ritchie was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in the corresponding move.
Carrasco Joins The Braves
This is now the sixth time Atlanta has selected Carrasco’s minor league contract this season, as the veteran right-hander has been operating as an unofficial 41st man on the club’s roster.
Atlanta had an open spot on its 40-man roster when the move was made, and Carrasco arrived with a 3.68 ERA over 14 2/3 innings in seven appearances. He also posted a 1.6% walk rate and a 9.8% strikeout rate across that stretch.
JR Ritchie Returns To Gwinnett
Ritchie threw three innings of relief in Saturday’s 14-3 win over the Mets, so he headed back to the minors while Carrasco joined the bullpen to back up Martin Perez in today’s scheduled start.
The pattern has become familiar: Carrasco gives the Braves short-term innings when they need them, then the roster turns over again. That cycle sits against a stretch of 13 games in as many days before the All-Star break, and it leaves the club using the 39-year-old as short-term pitching depth rather than a fixed spot on the roster.
Braves Roster Cycle Continues
The move suggests Carrasco can keep filling that role as the Braves manage the schedule, but the same transaction path has already repeated six times this season. If the club follows the same track again, Carrasco could be designated for assignment within the week, clear waivers, reject an outright assignment, become a free agent, and return on a fresh minor league deal.
That leaves the practical question in front of the Braves: whether this promotion is just another brief stop, or whether the roster pattern changes after another turn through the same cycle.
