The Atlanta Braves released pitcher Aaron Blair on Thursday. The decision to cut Blair comes a little over a month after the 26-year-old right-hander had shoulder surgery to repair a capsule tear and a damaged rotator cuff.
Blair was released in order to open a 40-man spot on the Braves roster for outfielder Peter Bourjos, who was called up as a reserve outfielder after Ronald Acuna’s injury.
Per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David O. Brien, “The Braves could’ve opened a spot on the 40-man roster by placing Blair on the 60-day DL, but doing so would’ve required them to recall Blair from the Triple-A DL in order to put him on the major league 60-day DL, in which case he would have been paid a major league salary and also accrued a full season of service time.