Braves Send Down Young Reliever to Meet 13-Pitcher Rule

The Atlanta Braves have been on fire in the month of June, going 15-2 and cutting their deficit in the NL East standings in half. A furious three weeks of baseball doesn't stop the team from tinkering the roster, which was required on Monday as part of a roster rule handed down by the MLB league office.

Originally passed ahead of the 2022 season, the 13-pitcher rule stipulates that MLB rosters will only be allowed to carry 13 pitchers after increasing the active roster from 25 to 26 players. The rule has been long-delayed thanks to a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and recently shortened Spring Training.

The league office twice extended the allowance of 14 pitchers on active rosters this season.

MLB 13-Pitcher Rule

As part of this roster limit rule change, the Braves optioned reliever Jesus Cruz to Triple-A Gwinnett. Mike Ford was recalled from the Triple-A team in a corresponding move.

Braves News

This marked Cruz's second stint in the big leagues, and the 27-year-old was quite successful in his very limited action. Cruz tossed 6.0 innings of work across six appearances, allowing just one earned run for a 1.50 ERA. He gave up four hits while striking out five of the 25 batters he faced.

Atlanta looks to keep the good times rolling with a tough four-game home series against the San Francisco Giants beginning Monday. The Braves enter this matchup as -152 moneyline favorites, according to MLB odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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