The Atlanta Braves recalled Didier Fuentes from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday morning, giving the right-hander another shot with the big league club just days after his start in Washington. The move came after Dylan Lee was placed on the paternity list, creating the short-term opening Atlanta needed to bring Fuentes back.
Lee's absence can last at least one game and up to three, and it gives the Braves a narrow window to make a roster exception for Fuentes, who normally would have had to stay in the minors for 15 days before a recall. Fuentes had already worked out of the bullpen for Atlanta earlier in the 2025 season, including four innings of one-run ball in his season debut against the Royals in March.
This latest return comes with Fuentes still trying to steady his place in a rotation that has been in flux. Last week in Washington, he allowed four runs in the first inning, then settled in for two scoreless innings, but it still took him 72 pitches to get through three frames. Manager Walt Weiss turned to Martín Pérez after Fuentes exited, and JR Ritchie came up and took that rotation spot after the Washington start. The Braves were scheduled to face the Tigers on Tuesday, with Pérez back in the rotation and set to start at 7:15 p.m.
Lee has been one of Atlanta's most reliable relievers this season, posting a 1.39 ERA and a 0.69 WHIP with 13 strikeouts in 14 appearances while allowing just two runs. His move to the paternity list is temporary, but it arrives at a time when the Braves are already juggling pitching roles behind Chris Sale, Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes, with Reynaldo López shifted to the bullpen.
Atlanta also said Spencer Strider is nearing the end of his rehab assignment, though it remains unclear whether he will make one more start with Gwinnett or be activated for the weekend trip to Colorado. For Fuentes, the opportunity is immediate; for the Braves, it is another test of how long they can keep stitching together a staff that has not settled into a fixed shape.
