The Atlanta Braves selected veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco to their active roster on Sunday, July 5, 2026, optioning top pitching prospect JR Ritchie to Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move.
Atlanta had an open spot on its 40-man roster, so no further transactions were needed, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
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Ritchie's Brief Stint
The roster shuffle came right after Ritchie tossed 46 pitches over three scoreless relief innings to secure his first career professional save during Atlanta's 14-3 blowout victory against the New York Mets on Saturday.
The 23-year-old gave up three hits and one walk while striking out four, helping preserve the Braves bullpen during a stretch of 13 games in 13 days leading up to the All-Star break.
This marks the third time this season that Ritchie, Atlanta's No. 2 prospect on MLB Pipeline, has been sent back to Gwinnett, where he holds a 3.22 ERA across nine starts.
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Carrasco's Return
The Braves selected Carrasco's minor league contract for the sixth time this year, continuing a cycle where the 39-year-old veteran fills innings before hitting free agency and re-signing.
Carrasco has pitched to a 3.68 ERA and a 1.6% walk rate over 14 2/3 innings this season across seven appearances.
He will serve as a long-relief option out of the bullpen to back up starter Martin Perez, with the Braves scheduled for an early 12:30 PM Sunday matchup.
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Fan reactions on social media highlighted the contrasting paths of the veteran and the young prospect, with some expressing concern over Ritchie's frequent movement.
