Daysbel Hernandez, Vaughn Grissom included on Braves’ Division Series roster (UPDATED)

The Atlanta Braves announced their roster for their Division Series matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies. As expected, there were a few surprises among the list.

Starters (4): Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Bryce Elder, AJ Smith-Shawver

Relievers (8): Raisel Iglesias, A.J. Minter, Pierce Johnson, Joe Jimenez, Kirby Yates, Brad Hand, Daysbel Hernandez, Michael Tonkin

Catchers (2): Sean Murphy, Travis d’Arnaud

Infielders (6): Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia, Austin Riley, Nicky Lopez, Vaughn Grissom

Outfielders (5): Eddie Rosario, Kevin Pillar, Michael Harris, Ronald Acuña Jr., Forrest Wall

DH (1): Marcell Ozuna

Reliever Daysbel Hernandez made just four appearances before he was placed on the injured list with forearm inflammation. He returned late in the season for a rehab assignment at Gwinnett, but did not rejoin the active roster. He impressed however during this week’s workouts to garner a spot.

Infielder Vaughn Grissom put up big numbers at Gwinnett, but didn’t see many opportunities at the major league level once Orlando Arcia returned from a wrist injury in early May. Grissom will give the Braves a right-handed bench option which could be valuable given the number of lefties on the Phillies’ pitching staff.

There has been a lot of buzz around AJ Smith-Shawver over the last couple of weeks and he makes the roster and could be used as a starter or a long relief option. Michael Tonkin makes the roster over Jesse Chavez which is a little surprising given that Tonkin allowed runs in seven of his last eight appearances. Perhaps they are banking on the extra time off being what he needed to get back on track. Still, he looks like little more than a mop up option on this list.

Kyle Wright was also left off the roster, likely in favor of Smith-Shawver. The Braves announced over the final days of the season that Wright was going to shift into a relief role, but then there were concerns about how long it took him to recover. He made two relief appearances four days apart. He was also hit hard in two starts against the Phillies. If everything is still good with his shoulder, Wright will continue to throw at the alternate site and could be an option in later rounds, should the Braves advance.

Game 1 of the Division Series will get underway Saturday night at Truist Park.

Update: Kyle Wright was placed on the 60-day injured list today which will effectively take him out of the mix for the remainder of the postseason.