Braves Call Up Newly Acquired Reliever, Option Darius Vines to Gwinnett

The Atlanta Braves are looking for reinforcements for their bullpen

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jimmy Herget (46) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves are trying something new.

In this case, it’ll be a recently acquired reliever making his Braves debut sometime this weekend out of the bullpen. 

Atlanta announced this morning that they have called up recently-acquired Jimmy Herget from Triple-A Gwinnett. 

Herget was designated from assignment by the Angels and subsequently traded for cash considerations to Atlanta, a deal strikingly similar to the Pierce Johnson acquisition in its potential: a reliever stuck on a bad team with an exemplary pitch he wasn’t throwing enough. 

Herget, 30, was DFA’d after ten AAA games for Los Angeles this season, going 1-2 with a 3.97 ERA in 111 innings. Across parts of three seasons in the Angels bullpen, he went 6-7 with a 3.28 ERA, pitching 112.2 innings and picking up nine saves. 

He’s pitched seven innings for Gwinnett since the trade, allowing three runs in seven innings, striking out seven and walking two. He converted his only save opportunity for the Stripers. 

The corresponding move for Atlanta was optioning prospect Darius Vines back to Gwinnett after last night’s game. Used out of the bullpen after starter Ray Kerr exited, Vines pitched three innings and allowed six runs on six hits, including a homer, while striking out only two and walking one. Throwing 78 pitches (53 strikes), Vines got thirteen whiffs (ten on the slider) but also allowed six hard-hit balls - amazingly, only two of those were hits, showing that the line could have been worse if not for Atlanta’s defense making plays on hard-hit balls with expected batting averages of .660 (Andrew McCutcheon’s 105.4 mph lineout in the 7th) and .910 (Michael A. Taylor’s 101.4 mph lineout in the 6th). 

Herget last pitched on Tuesday the 21st, throwing 1.1 innings against Jacksonville with two hits and one run allowed on 16 pitches, and should be available this weekend without restriction.  

The Braves are back in action this afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 4:05 PM ET with Reynaldo López taking the mound against righty Mitch Keller.