The Braves designated right-hander Shane Greene for assignment, the team announced Tuesday morning. Lefty A.J. Minter was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to fill the open bullpen spot.
Greene, 32, hasn’t pitched since July 30. He had an 8.47 ERA across 19 appearances for the Braves while surrendering five homers in 17 innings.
When the Braves re-signed Greene to a one-year deal for just over $1 million in early May, they hoped he would stabilize an inconsistent bullpen. But the veteran never found his footing. He surrendered multiple hits in seven outings and multiple runs in five appearances.
Manager Brian Snitker spoke well of Greene on Tuesday. The right-hander missed spring training and had only four appearances at Gwinnett before joining the club, which while not entirely to blame for his struggles, was a factor.
“Hopefully Greeney can catch on with somebody and throw,” Snitker said. “It’s just been unfortunate here that there hadn’t been any innings for him. I think for his career, this is a good option for him to go somewhere else and hopefully get enough innings to get himself back going.”
Greene had a 3.27 ERA over 55 appearances with the Braves over the past season and a half entering 2021. Despite remaining unsigned over a month into the season, Greene was said to have multiple suitors as a proven late-innings reliever. He isn’t far removed from an All-Star 2019 season in which he posted a 1.18 ERA in the first half with Detroit before he was traded to the Braves as part of their midseason bullpen makeover.
The veteran was an important part of the Braves’ stellar 2020 bullpen. He had a 2.60 ERA across 28 appearances during the shortened season.
Minter hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 18. He struggled throughout the season, posting a 4.86 ERA in 42 outings. The southpaw has pitched well in Triple-A lately, logging seven consecutive scoreless appearances.
“The main thing with (Minter) was just that proverbial reset button,” Snitker said. “Just give him a little mental blow a little bit. And he’s been throwing really good.”
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