ST. LOUIS – The Braves made a move on Friday to bolster their bullpen by claiming Joey Wentz off waivers from the Minnesota Twins and designating Kevin Herget for assignment.
Wentz, a left-hander, went 2-1 with a 6.88 ERA in 25 games between Pittsburgh and Minnesota this season. He is expected to join the Braves on Saturday.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said the team was familiar with Wentz after the team drafted him in Competitive Balance Round A (40th overall) in the 2016 MLB Draft.
“He did OK with the Pirates, and then I guess he changed his pitch mix a little bit with Minnesota,” Snitker said. “And you know, he's an established guy. He's been in the big leagues now for a while. And it's just, any time we can get depth, after all the pitching injuries we've had, we're going to look to do that.”
Herget, a right-hander, appeared in just one game with the Braves on July 1. He pitched one scoreless inning while walking two and allowing a hit.