Braves reassign eight more to minor league camp as Opening Day nears

In the hours after the Braves (surprisingly) announced Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder had been optioned and reassigned to minor league camp, the club announced a handful of others were being sent down as well: LHP Brian Moran, C Drake Baldwin, INF Joe Dunand, INF Adeiny Hechavarría, OF Justin Dean, OF Cody Milligan, OF Magneuris Sierra and OF Forrest Wall.

The Braves now have 42 players in camp.

None of the players reassigned this evening were expected to make the big league club. Of the group, outfielder Forrest Wall had turned some heads in camp with his speed and is a former top 40 pick in the draft. Assuming he sticks in Gwinnett, Wall may find himself in Atlanta at some point in 2023 in a backup role, especially with the new rules on the base paths. Hechavarría is a familiar name from prior years, but a roster spot was going to be hard to come by on the infield with Orlando Arcia occupying the backup role.

The real surprise of the day’s reassignments came with the aforementioned Anderson and Elder, who were battling for the 5th spot in the rotation. Look for former first round pick Jared Shuster or Dylan Dodd to fill that role to begin the year.

Look for the Braves to continue trimming their roster in the coming days. All eyes will be on the battle for the 4th (and potentially 5th) outfield spots.