Former Phillies reliever Héctor Neris is back in the National League East as he officially signed with the Atlanta Braves on Monday, according to the club’s transaction log. The 35-year-old joined the Braves on a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training.
Neris, a right-hander with a heavy fastball-splitter combination, is an 11-year big-league veteran who spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Phillies. He made his debut in 2014, throwing one inning, then emerged as a bullpen mainstay in Philadelphia the next season. Neris certainly had ups and downs in his Phillies career, complete with some stellar seasons, some lackluster ones and a pivotal Triple-A demotion and bounceback in 2018.