Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) to open season on IL
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NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Just when it looked like the Braves might enter the season without any significant health concerns, closer Raisel Iglesias revealed he is dealing with a sore right shoulder.
Iglesias informed the Braves of the discomfort on Wednesday and he underwent a MRI that showed no structural damage. The veteran reliever will begin the season on the 15-day injured list with what is being termed low-grade shoulder inflammation, an ailment that may require just a couple weeks of rest.
“Hopefully, we can get ahead of it and not let it be something [serious],” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s just a matter of shutting him down, and hopefully, we can get him [back] sooner than later.”
Iglesias made four appearances this spring, with the most recent on March 13. But Snitker said he didn’t know about any shoulder issues until after the reliever played catch and reported the soreness on Wednesday.
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With Iglesias sidelined, Atlanta could give the closing duties to A.J. Minter, who served in that role during portions of the 2018 and ‘19 seasons. The left-hander tallied five saves while posting a 2.06 ERA over a career-high 70 innings (75 appearances) last year.
Other options include Kirby Yates, Joe Jiménez or Nick Anderson. Yates is a former All-Star closer who has started to look more dependable as he further distances himself from undergoing Tommy John surgery for a second time in 2021. Jiménez still appears to be righting himself after undergoing spinal surgery this offseason.
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Anderson was optioned on Monday, but he could return to take Iglesias’ roster spot. The once-elite reliever has pitched effectively over the past couple of weeks. His demotion didn’t seem to be performance-related, but seemed to have more to do with him having two remaining options.
“Minter has closed,” Snitker said. “He would be the obvious guy. It may be a matchup scenario type of thing. You just have to audible with the guys you have and see.”
Iglesias was acquired from the Angels at the 2022 Trade Deadline to serve as Kenley Jansen’s setup man before assuming the closer’s role once Jansen exited as a free agent this past winter.
Iglesias posted a 0.34 ERA over 26 1/3 innings for Atlanta during the regular season, then made two postseason appearances. He worked a scoreless inning in Game 2 of the National League Division Series before allowing one run on three hits while recording just one out in Game 4 against the Phillies.