Braves acquire Ben Heller from Rays, designate Nick Solak for assignment

The Atlanta Braves announced Tuesday that they have acquired right-hander Ben Heller from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for international bonus pool money. Heller was optioned to Gwinnett. Atlanta designated Nick Solak for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Heller pitched in part of four seasons with the Yankees with his last appearance in the majors coming in 2020. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and then had a stress fracture in his elbow in 2021 after he signed with Arizona. He was called up to the majors in May by the Rays but didn’t appear in a game before he was designated for assignment. He has a 3.95 ERA, 3.85 FIP and was averaging more than 11 strikeouts per nine with Tampa’s Triple A affiliate.

Solak was claimed off waivers from the White Sox in April. He appeared in one game during a stint on the active roster with the Braves and was hitting .272/.364/.444 with six home runs in 38 games at Gwinnett.