The Atlanta Braves bolstered their right-handed pitching depth on Tuesday by acquiring reliever Hunter Stratton from the Pittsburgh Pirates. In return, they sent outfield prospect Titus Dumitru and cash considerations to Pittsburgh. Stratton has been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Braves placed left-hander Chris Sale on the 60-day injured list. Sale, who suffered a rib fracture during his June 18 start, is now eligible to return in the second half of August. The injury, while disappointing, was not unexpected given the nature of rib fractures. A similar injury previously sidelined Sean Murphy for over a month.
Sale was placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to June 19. Prior to getting hurt, he was on a dominant run—posting a 1.23 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over his last 10 starts, and lowering his season ERA from 6.17 to 2.52. He appeared to be on pace for another All-Star selection before the injury.
In the meantime, the Braves have turned to their No. 10 prospect, Didier Fuentes, to fill Sale’s rotation spot.
Stratton, who has struggled in a few outings this season, has otherwise been solid in the Majors. He owns a 3.26 ERA over 44 appearances between 2023 and 2024, and has a 3.65 ERA in 21 Triple-A games this year. He adds valuable bullpen depth and could be called up at any time.
Dumitru, a 16th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has been playing at the High-A level. In 64 games with High-A Rome, he’s hitting .231 with a .629 OPS, three home runs, and 36 RBIs.
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