Ken Giles Sent To Minor League Camp By The Braves With option J.P. Martinez And Ray Kerr
The Atlanta Braves announced three roster moves prior to Friday’s Grapefruit League matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Atlanta reassigned reliever Ken Giles to minor league camp and also optioned lefty Ray Kerr along with outfielder J.P. Martinez to Gwinnett.
The #Braves today optioned LHP Ray Kerr and OF J.P. Martínez to Triple-A Gwinnett, and reassigned RHP Ken Giles to minor league camp. Atlanta now has 42 players in camp.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) March 8, 2024
The greatest surprise here is clearly Giles, who was mentioned on the Opening Day roster recently and even made it into my most recent prediction. Giles gave up two walks, a single, and a run in the Red Sox game on Thursday. This spring, in three appearances, he has pitched three innings with five strikeouts and one hit, one run, and three walks allowed.
Kerr was acquired by the Braves from the Padres over the winter. Starting the season at Gwinnett was always a possibility because he had choices left. In his five springtime appearances, he has pitched four and a third innings, giving up three runs and seven hits.
Martinez was traded by the Rangers to Atlanta over the summer. During camp, he played in eight games and went 2 for 15 at the plate. Where he can play every day, Gwinnett is probably where he will start the season as outfield depth.
