Braves put – The Braves released left-hander Aaron Bummer and placed catcher Drake Baldwin on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain, forcing an immediate reshuffle behind the plate and raising new questions about Atlanta’s pitching depth and catching production.
By Tuesday night, the Braves weren’t just rearranging a roster. They were absorbing a double hit to the season—one move that removes a struggling reliever, and another that could take away their best bat among catchers.
Atlanta announced it has released left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer and placed catcher Drake Baldwin on the 10-day injured list due to an oblique strain. The club also activated lefty Dylan Dodd from the 10-day IL. recalled righty Victor Mederos from Triple-A. selected the contract of catcher Chadwick Tromp. and optioned right-hander JR Ritchie to Triple-A.
For the Braves, Baldwin’s injury lands at a bad moment. Atlanta is already once again without veteran Sean Murphy, who is out with a fractured finger. When Baldwin is sidelined, the roster loses more than a regular starter—he’s been one of the most productive players on the team.
The 25-year-old Baldwin won National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2025. In 2026, his numbers have moved in the same direction as awards talk. He’s produced a .303/.389/.543 batting line and has already clubbed 13 home runs in 216 plate appearances. As a rookie, he swatted 19 home runs in 446 plate appearances.
Advanced production paints the same picture. By measure of wRC+. Baldwin has been 60% better than average at the plate this season—listed as the eighth-best qualified hitter in the sport. The stakes go beyond “good performance.” The average catcher is about 12% worse than average at the plate. so Baldwin’s output has been even more valuable. He also brings strong blocking skills and average framing grades, leaving him among the best all-around players in baseball. FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference peg him at 2.2 wins above replacement through just over one quarter of the regular season.
Atlanta has not put a timetable on how long Baldwin might miss. Every injury case is different. but even Grade 1 oblique strains can sideline players for upwards of one month. while a more severe strain would mean a lengthier absence. Braves manager Walt Weiss is expected to provide more details prior to this afternoon’s contest against the Marlins.
That timing matters in a very practical way because the Braves also enter this stretch reeling from last night’s game. With the roster reshuffling—Ritchie now optioned and Bummer now released—Atlanta’s pitching choices did not go unpunished. The Marlins scored a combined 12 earned runs, with six apiece attributed to the now-optioned Ritchie and the now-released Bummer.
The catcher picture shifts sharply too. With Baldwin and Murphy both shelved. the Braves will move from one of baseball’s most potent catching tandems to what could become the lightest-hitting setup in the sport. Tromp will join 37-year-old Sandy León to handle catching duties for the foreseeable future.
León hasn’t topped 100 plate appearances in a big league season since 2021 and carries a .176/.245/.268 batting line over his past 930 trips to the plate in the majors. Tromp, meanwhile, is a career .221/.230/.390 hitter in 178 major league plate appearances. Both are solid defenders. The expectation is that—at least offensively—neither profile brings much beyond modest run creation. with a reasonable projection for an OBP in the .250 range.
While the Baldwin injury changes Atlanta’s day-to-day lineup, Bummer’s release changes its bullpen in a more immediate and dramatic way. He was tagged for six runs in what will be recorded as his final appearance with the Braves, lasting only one inning.
That didn’t come out of nowhere. The entire 2026 season has been calamitous for the 32-year-old southpaw. He has pitched 15 1/3 innings for Atlanta this year and has been shelled for a 7.63 ERA. He’s allowed multiple runs in five of his 19 appearances. and much of the damage has clustered over the past five weeks.
Dating back to April 13, Bummer has been hit for 15 runs (13 earned) on 17 hits and seven walks in 11 1/3 innings. Opponents have also launched six home runs in that stretch. His strikeout rate has dropped to 16.9%.
To understand how sharp the fall is, you have to go back to what he was before this year. Prior to 2026. Bummer gave the Braves two seasons of quality middle relief—rarely used in high-leverage spots. but still dependable enough to compile 109 2/3 innings of 3.69 ERA ball. Over those two seasons, he set down 25.1% of hitters on strikes and logged a tidy 7.3% walk rate. It wasn’t “star” production, but it was serviceable bullpen performance.
Last season carried some warning signs, and this year has made them impossible to ignore. His strikeout rate dipped by several percentage points. and both his average four-seamer and average sinker fell by about two miles per hour. In 2026, the decline has worsened. Bummer has sat at 94.7 mph on his four-seamer and 94.3 mph on his sinker as recently as 2023. This season, he’s averaging 90.5 mph on his four-seamer and 90.2 mph on his sinker.
The Braves’ roster moves are a reminder that. in baseball. injuries and performance issues can arrive together—and when they do. the response has to be fast. Baldwin’s absence could last weeks. Murphy’s fractured finger already puts pressure on the position. And with Bummer gone after a single inning turned into six runs. Atlanta now has to rebuild stability in its pitching staff while figuring out who can carry the offense behind the plate.
More to come.
Atlanta Braves Aaron Bummer Drake Baldwin injured list oblique strain Dylan Dodd Victor Mederos Chadwick Tromp JR Ritchie Sandy León Sean Murphy