The Atlanta Braves enter Saturday looking to regain momentum in a lengthy five-game series against the Miami Marlins. The set began Thursday at Truist Park with Atlanta taking Game 1 in a high-scoring 8-6 victory before Miami evened the series with a 5-1 win on Friday night.
With injuries piling up, the Braves made several roster moves on Saturday morning to prepare for the day-night doubleheader.
On Saturday morning, the Braves announced a series of moves highlighted by the recall of right-hander Hurston Waldrep. The 2023 first-round pick out of the University of Florida will start Game 1 of the doubleheader after going 7-8 with a 4.42 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A Gwinnett. Over 91.2 innings, he has recorded 92 strikeouts and a 1.47 WHIP.
Waldrep, armed with a fastball, splitter, and slider, is riding a strong stretch in the minors — including seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in his most recent outing — and has allowed two runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts. His call-up gives him a prime opportunity to prove he’s ready to compete for a 2026 rotation spot.
The Athletic’s David O’Brien shared the details of the morning transactions on X (formerly known as Twitter), highlighting the extent of Atlanta’s roster shuffle heading into Saturday’s doubleheader.
“#Braves recalled RH Hurston Waldrep, who’ll start Game 1 of today’s doubleheader vs. Miami, and added INF Vidal Bruján, after optioning INF Jonathan Ornelas and LH Dylan Dodd to Triple A. Also, Braves appointed RH Hunter Stratton as the additional player for the doubleheader.”
The Braves also added Vidal Brujan, claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. A versatile utility player capable of handling multiple infield and outfield positions, Brujan is batting .239 with a .554 OPS in 51 games this season.
His speed and defensive flexibility could prove valuable for Atlanta, particularly with Austin Riley, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Nacho Alvarez Jr. all sidelined.
To make room on the roster, Atlanta optioned infielder Jonathan Ornelas and left-hander Dylan Dodd to Triple-A Gwinnett. Ornelas, 25, returns to the minors after going 2-for-9 (.222) with a .300 on-base percentage in 2025. For his career, he’s batting .208 with 11 hits in 53 at-bats.
Dodd, 27 years old, heads back to Gwinnett after 16 big-league appearances this season in which he posted an underwhelming 4.42 ERA, 0.873 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts over 18.1 innings. His career line includes a 6.59 ERA and 33 strikeouts across 54.2 MLB innings pitched.
Right-hander Hunter Stratton was named the 27th man for the doubleheader, giving the club some additional bullpen depth for the day.
The Braves entered Saturday with a 48-67 record (.417), sitting fourth in the NL East and 18 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies. With playoff hopes all but gone, the focus for the remainder of 2025 is on player evaluation and roster flexibility.
Waldrep’s start is one of the day’s biggest storylines as the club assesses its future rotation pieces while also trying to salvage a series against a surging division rival.
