The Atlanta Braves have struggled this season, posting a 39-46 record despite the returns of key players Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider. One of the main issues has been the bullpen’s underperformance, putting the team at risk of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017. However, there may be some relief on the way.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, reliever Joe Jiménez recently completed his first bullpen session and is targeting a potential return in August. While it’s uncertain if he’ll be activated next month, his recovery is progressing.
Jiménez joined Atlanta via a trade with the Detroit Tigers before the 2023 season. After a strong debut year with the Braves, he was rewarded with a three-year, $26 million extension. In 2024, he delivered a career-best performance, finishing with a 2.62 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 160 ERA+ over 68 2/3 innings.
Unfortunately, offseason knee surgery threatened to keep him sidelined for 8 to 12 months, and many insiders expected him to miss all of 2025. A return in August would put him back within that original timeline.
Even if Jiménez returns, it might not be enough to turn the Braves’ season around. Acuña has performed exceptionally well since coming back from the ACL tear that ended his 2024 campaign. In 36 games, he’s posted a 196 OPS+ while hitting .346/.465/.598 with 9 home runs, 18 RBIs, and 33 runs, earning his fifth All-Star nod. Yet, Atlanta has gone just 15-20 since his return on May 23, falling further in the standings — from 8.5 games back in the NL East to 11, now tied for third with the Miami Marlins.
The loss of ace Chris Sale to the 60-day injured list with a rib injury in late June has only worsened matters. Sale, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, was in the midst of another standout season before going down, and his absence leaves a significant void in the rotation.
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