The Atlanta Braves announced on Sunday that right-handed pitcher José Ruiz has been outrighted to Triple-A. It was first reported on Thursday that Ruiz would be designated for assignment, with the official move coming the following morning.
Ruiz was removed from the 40-man roster in order to make room for starting pitcher and Braves top-10 prospect Didier Fuentes. He didn’t opt for free agency and wasn’t picked up on waivers. He will stick around the organization in the minors.
Ruiz made two appearances for the Braves in his brief stint. He pitched a scoreless inning against the Brewers on June 10 and gave up three of the 10 runs scored by the Rockies on Sunday. Ruiz waspicked up on waivers from the Phillies following the decision to DFA Craig Kimbrel after one game.
Fuentes made his Major League debut on Friday in the series opener against the Miami Marlins. He pitched five innings, allowed four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three. He threw 58 of his 87 pitches for strikes.
The Braves could have further decisions to make regarding the pitching staff. Reigning Cy Young Award winning Chris Sale was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday due to a left fractured rib cage. He sustained the injury on a diving play he made to get an out in the ninth inning.
Swapping out Ruiz for Fuentes ended up working out in having the extra rotation option. However, the Braves could ended up choosing to make another move that brings in another rotation option or more depth for the bullpen. It depends on how long Sale is out. He’s out for a minimum two weeks. However, it could take longer than that. Sean Murphy, who had a similar injury with a cracked rib, missed over a month.
