The Braves placed Raisel Iglesias on the 15-day injured list Friday because of shoulder inflammation, a move that interrupts one of the strongest starts of Atlanta’s season in the back end of the bullpen. Atlanta recalled left-hander Dylan Dodd from Triple-A Gwinnett to fill Iglesias’ roster spot, while Robert Suarez is expected to handle the ninth inning during the absence.
Iglesias had an MRI that showed inflammation and no structural damage, and skipper Walt Weiss said the issue came after the reliever had slept on his shoulder wrong. Weiss also said Iglesias might be available the following day, and Iglesias did pitch an inning in that game, but the team still moved him to the injured list on April 25 and expects him to miss at least two weeks.
The injury lands at an awkward moment for Atlanta because Iglesias had been locking down games again after re-signing with the club on a one-year, $16MM deal over the offseason. Through his first 8 2/3 innings this year, he had not allowed a run, gave up just five hits and posted an 11-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Since mid-June of last year, Iglesias has thrown 52 innings with a 1.04 ERA, a 31.2% strikeout rate and a 5.8% walk rate while converting 26 of 27 save chances.
That track record is why the bullpen picture now shifts to Suarez, who signed a three-year, $45MM contract with Atlanta this offseason and has already been trusted in the role when Iglesias was unavailable. Suarez picked up the save on Saturday in that spot, and he has allowed one run on seven hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings this season. Atlanta’s relief plan is clear for the moment: Iglesias sits, Dodd comes up, and Suarez takes the ninth until the closer is ready again.