The Atlanta Braves are turning to one of their top prospects as the team continues to navigate a pitching staff that injuries have ravaged. The club selected the right-hander JR Ritchie to its major league roster Thursday, with the 22-year-old set to make his MLB debut against the Washington Nationals.
Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, posted a 2.64 earned run average across 26 starts at three minor league levels in 2025, and earned the National League starting nod at the Futures Game at Truist Park. Ritchie has also dealt with injury, returning from Tommy John surgery in 2024 and surging through the minors last season, pitching 140 innings.
So far in 2026, Ritchie has been dominant in five starts with Triple-A Gwinnett, surrendering three runs on 15 hits for a 0.99 ERA. Batters are averaging .167 against him at the plate.
The Braves also selected veteran Carlos Carrasco for the roster. The 39-year-old enters his 17th MLB season and will be available in the bullpen for long relief work if needed. Carrasco has held his own in the minors as well, splitting time between Triple-A Scranton and Triple-A Gwinnett after the New York Yankees traded him to Atlanta, where in 2025, he had a 4.80 ERA in 18 games, giving up 42 runs on 90 hits.
2026 has started well for the longtime veteran: in four games, he has allowed only two runs against opposing offenses, posting a 1.71 ERA. Opposing batters are averaging .247 at the plate, meaning that the Braves' defense will have to expect some contact when he steps on the mound.
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These moves come after the Braves placed left-hander Dylan Dodd on the 15-day injured list with left thoracic spine inflammation, backdated to April 22. Dodd’s IL stint is the latest blow to an Atlanta rotation already without Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, Joey Wentz, and Spencer Strider.
Atlanta will also need Ritchie and Carrasco to stabilize a bullpen that has been heavily taxed, with the Braves’ last two starters combining for just four innings over their last two games.
The Braves sit atop the NL East with a 17-8 record and a five-game lead over the second-place Miami Marlins, giving the team flexibility to take risks on younger arms like Ritchie. If he carries his dominant 2026 form into the majors, the No. 2 prospect could be a key piece in maintaining Atlanta's lead while the rotation waits on injured arms to return.
