The Atlanta Braves are only four games into spring training, but they’ve already seen enough of four players, at least to know that they aren’t going to be on the Opening Day roster.
After Tuesday’s games, the Braves announced they had optioned two pitchers on the 40-man roster, as well as reassigning two non-roster invitees to minor league camp.
The #Braves today optioned LHP Dylan Dodd and RHP Hurston Waldrep to Triple-A Gwinnett, and reassigned RHP Enoli Paredes and RHP Royber Salinas to minor league camp. Atlanta now has 56 players in camp.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) February 25, 2025
Braves make first round of roster cuts in 2025 which includes Hurston Waldrep, Dylan Dodd
Coming into spring training, top prospect Hurston Waldrep was a long shot to make the rotation out of camp, with Ian Anderson and Grant Holmes being front runners for the final two spots. It seems that his one inning against the Pirates on Tuesday was enough for the Braves to know that the young prospect will need at least a little more seasoning in Gwinnett.
Despite keeping the Pirates off the board, he only threw eight of his 16 pitches for strikes in his first game of the spring.
Dylan Dodd was the other member of the 40-man roster to get optioned. Dodd struggled in his one inning during the first spring training game against the Twins. The lefty allowed two runs and three hits in 17 pitches.
Dodd, who showed promise during the team’s 2023 spring training, has struggled mightily since then. The 26-year-old will get another shot to prove himself in Gwinnett, but he is running out of time to establish himself as a legitimate big league option.
Enoli Paredes, who signed with the Braves early in the offseason, didn’t get a lot of time to show that he belonged on the 26-man roster. In his one inning against the Pirates, the righty threw 25 pitches, only 13 for strikes, while allowing three hits and a run.
The 29-year-old has performed decently in the minors in recent season, so it wouldn’t be shocking if he made a cameo for the big league squad at some point in the 2025 season.
Lastly, the Braves reassigned Royber Salinas to minor league camp. Salinas was a former Braves prospect who was traded to the Athletics in the Sean Murphy deal. The starting propsect was never able prove himself with the Athletics, and found his way back to the Braves this offseason.
Unlike the other three pitchers, Salinas never appeared in a spring training game before getting cut. It seems management already knew he was destined for the Gwinnett Stripers’ rotation.
