The Atlanta Braves made the decision to reassign Ken Giles to their minor league camp on Friday, effectively ending his attempt to secure a spot on the opening day roster.
Giles, a former closer with 115 career saves across various teams including Philadelphia, Houston, and Toronto, joined the Braves on a non-roster deal with hopes of revitalizing his career, which has been marred by injuries.
Despite his experience, the 33-year-old right-hander has seen limited action in the majors since 2019, making only nine appearances.
During spring training, Giles pitched three innings across three games for the Braves. While he had two scoreless outings, he gave up a run along with a hit and two walks in his third appearance against Boston on Thursday. It’s expected that he will start the season at Triple-A Gwinnett and be considered for a promotion to Atlanta if he can demonstrate continued health and effectiveness.
Giles notably contributed 34 saves to Houston’s World Series-winning team in 2017.
In addition to Giles, the Braves also optioned left-handed reliever Ray Kerr and outfielder J.P. MartÃnez to Gwinnett, leaving a total of 42 players in the big league camp.
