The Atlanta Braves are designating reliever José Ruiz for assignment, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The move clears both a 40-man and active roster spot for top prospect Didier Fuentes, who will start Friday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins.
Ruiz had a brief and rocky tenure with Atlanta. Claimed off waivers from the Phillies on June 7, he posted an 8.16 ERA at the time. He pitched a clean inning in his Braves debut but struggled in his next outing, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks during Sunday’s blowout loss to the Rockies. He didn’t appear in any games during the Braves’ sweep of the Mets.
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So far in 2025, the 30-year-old owns an 8.82 ERA over 16 1/3 innings. While he was a solid bullpen option for the Phillies last season — putting up a 3.71 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate — his performance has dipped significantly this year. His whiff and chase rates are down, his walk rate has climbed to 11.4%, and he also missed time in May due to neck spasms.
Ruiz is out of minor league options, so if another team claims him off waivers, he’d need to stay on their MLB roster. He’s earning $1.225 million this season and recently surpassed five years of MLB service time, meaning he can choose free agency and retain his salary if he goes unclaimed.
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