Braves to DFA Jesse Chavez, add Zach Thompson to roster

Also, the recently-claimed Stuart Fairchild is now active for the club

You may want off the Braves’ wild (and crappy) 2025 ride so far, but no, it’s going to keep on spinning. Ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Dodgers, the Braves will apparently designate Jesse Chavez for assignment, and recall everyone’s favorite Connor Johnstone model update: Zach Thompson.

Chavez was added to the roster yesterday and did his mop-up thing in a blowout loss, with two walks to one strikeout and a homer allowed in two innings of work. I’m not gonna fault him for just getting the ball over to the catcher, but the Braves already have infinite long relievers and, well, I guess they decided it was easier to DFA Chavez than Enyel De Los Santos or whatever.

Anyway, the new long reliever du jour is Zach Thompson, the proud owner of 55 major league appearances and 1.5 fWAR (107 ERA-, 109 FIP-, 110 xFIP-). He recently spent Spring Training with the Braves pitching because no one else wanted to (nine innings) in which he had a 5/3 K/BB ratio. Thompson appeared in the majors in 2021 with the Marlins and 2023 with the Pirates, but missed all of last year with a flexor tear. I look forward to him eating all of the innings in 2025. Not some of the innings, literally all of the innings. Then maybe the Braves can jettison their other long relievers and not have to worry so much about overworking four guys (who aren’t going to be overworked anyway).

Also, Stuart Fairchild is on the active roster now. Will he start in Dodger Stadium tonight? Tune in and find out.