Saturday seeds: Chris Sale to rehab next week, Waldrep starts on Saturday, and draft picks getting into games
Here's some of the news and notes you might have missed from this week
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Sale in Gwinnett
No, this isn’t on jerseys in the team store, it’s on the mound.
Starter Chris Sale bounced back well from his live batting practice on Thursday in Truist Park, so the Braves have announced the next step in his eventual return to the majors. Sale will make a rehab start in Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday as the Stripers open a home series against the Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds organization).
On the 2025 season, Sale is 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA nd 114 strikeouts in his 89.1 innings. This will be Sale’s first Triple-A appearance since 2023, when he made two starts for Worcester while rehabbing during his time with the Boston Red Sox.
Despite Atlanta having nothing left to play for but pride, Sale has been adamant that he always planned on rehabbing and returning to the mound this season. As he told the media on Thursday, including The Athletic’s David O’Brien, “I don’t care what our record says, I like to compete and I want to go out there and do my job […] I’ve missed enough baseball in my career that (ending the season with an injury) isn’t something that I’m OK with.”
Sale went on to explain that getting back on the mound is important for next year, as well. “I think it’s important to finish a year not on the IL and be able to at least hang my hat on the fact that I was able to finish the year pitching and upright. Going into the offseason knowing that there’s no real questions or concerns or anything that I’m going to have to, I guess you would say, take care of (in the offseason).”
Sale closed the interview by expressing a desire to throw 200 innings next season. 2024’s 177.2 was his highest innings total since he last broke 200 innings, throwing a league-leading 214.1 in 2017 and finishing as runner-up for the AL Cy Young award to Cleveland’s Corey Kluber.
Waldrep to make another start
On Friday, our suspicions were validated when manager Brian Snitker confirmed that prospect Hurston Waldrep would be added as the designated 27th man for Saturday’s doubleheader. It will be the second appearance this season and first start for Waldrep, who earned his first career win with 5.2 innings in relief on Sunday for the resumption of the Speedway Classic.
UPDATE: Waldrep was indeed added to the roster on Saturday morning, but as a conventional call up, taking the place of reliever Dylan Dodd. It’s likely he stays up to make more starts after today.
Waldrep was returned to Triple-A on Sunday after the Speedway Classic, per MLB’s rules on the designated 27th player, but is not required to wait for the designated ten days after assignment before being recalled.
Waldrep made two disastrous starts for Atlanta in 2024, going 0-1 with a 16.71 ERA, but has spent the entire 2025 season in Triple-A, cementing his new pitching profile after making mechanical and arsenal changes earlier this season. He’s currently 7-8 with a 4.42 ERA in Gwinnett this season, but has three wins and a 1.99 ERA across his last seven starts.
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2025 Draftees flashing the tools already
The Atlanta Braves went opposite to form this season, grabbing several position players early and filling their class out late with arms. A few of those early position players have gotten into games recently and are impressing.
Florida State shortstop Alex Lodise (2nd round) went to High-A Rome and came a homer away from the cycle in his very first game. He’s currently sitting 4-17 with three RBI and a run scored through his first four games, all played at shortstop.
Fellow collegiate shortstop Cody Miller (3rd round) out of East Tennessee State has four games of his own at shortstop for Single-A Augusta, picking up hits in each contest. He’s currently 6-18 with a homer, two runs, and five RBI.
Former UAB outfielder Logan Braunschweig (9th round) is with Lodise in Rome and has four games of his own, all in left field. He’s 4-12 with two walks and two runs scored, having not yet struck out in professional baseball.
Lodise and Braunschweig are the two I’m watching the most for the potential to move quickly and contribute to the major league roster as soon as the end of next season. For details on all 21 draftees from this summer’s Draft, we’ve got you covered.
Former Braves pitcher retires
Alex Wood, Atlanta’s 2nd round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, announced his retirement on Instagram.
Coming out of the University of Georgia, he debuted the very next year and went 21-20 with a 3.10 ERA across his three seasons in Atlanta. The Braves sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a three-team trade, where he was an All-Star in 2017 and won the 2020 World Series. That 2017 season was his best season, where he led baseball with a .842 winning percentage as part of a 16-3, 2.72 ERA campaign that resulted in downballot Cy Young votes.
He played for twelve seasons, playing in seven different postseasons and finishing with a career 3.78 ERA and 1,173 strikeouts.
I remember the Alex Wood presser when he was with the Dodgers at the start of the playoffs where he called out the team. Saying there was a team text thread and players would say some encouraging things on it, but it would not manifest in the locker room or on the field. He said it was hard to 'get up' as a team for a playoff series because they throw their gloves on the field and they have out talented everyone. He was doing this to spark a fire under some players, get them angry. Of course the press went after him etc and all that. It was before Freddie and he was trying to make a difference the best way he could. I really appreciate his career and I wish we never ever got Hector. Getting Hector was worse than losing the 13 in the international ban. Not the draft picks loss but Hector himself was more of loss than all those player put together. If you add in losing Wood...ugh.
I think I heard you say in the post cast about shaking things up in the winter or something close. I understand the coaching staff will be different. What if they don't do really anything except pen? I believe left with Profar will be okay, Allen is great, Albies is 3 so yeah. MHII is going to be fine. I don't know about Riley weirdly. It is strange but I don't think they will change that much. I know everyone wants something drastic and if we can get someone well above Profar great. I don't think we can get someone who will be well above Albies or MHII. It could happen but it would cost a ton in prospects or really pay out the nose for a SS? Nah I don't see it.