According to the transaction trackers on their MLB.com profile pages, the Braves have re-signed Royber Salinas and left-hander Ray Kerr to minor league contracts. That same source claims that left-hander Kolton Ingram has joined the Braves on a minor league contract.
Before last week’s deadline, Kerr and Salinas were both non-tendered by the Braves, but they will now rejoin the team as non-roster depth. After starting his major league career with the Padres, Kerr had a strong 2023 season for San Diego, striking out a stellar 30.3% of opponents in 27 innings with a 4.33 ERA and 4.18 FIP.
The Braves were persuaded to trade for him last winter based on that very short sample of success, and in order to complete the move, the team took on the last year of Matt Carpenter’s underwater contract with San Diego. Unfortunately, Kerr had Tommy John surgery back in June after struggling to a 5.64 ERA in 10 early-season appearances. Now that he’s back with Atlanta, he can work out with the team in preparation for a potential 2025 second-half comeback.
Salinas, on the other hand, only entered the Braves organization earlier this month when the A’s claimed him off waivers. However, Salinas had previously played for the organization as an international amateur after signing with Atlanta out of Venezuela. Prior to the 2023 season, Salinas was moved to the A’s as part of the Sean Murphy transaction, having spent the first few years of his professional career with the Braves.
During his two-year stay in Oakland, the right-hander found it difficult to make a name for himself in the upper minor leagues. Although he experienced better results (with a 3.68 ERA) in a rerun of the level this year after battling to a 5.48 ERA in his first taste of Double-A competition last year, he was hammered to the tune of seven runs in 6 1/3 Triple-A innings. The club’s bullpen, which is currently without A.J. Minter after the lefty hit free agency earlier this month and Joe Jimenez after the right-hander had surgery that will keep him out of the game for at least most of the 2025 season, is expected to use Salinas as non-roster depth in 2025.
Ingram, who spent the 2024 season bouncing between four different Triple-A organizations, is also expected to play the role of non-roster depth. Ingram struck out 23.7% of opponents in 51 2/3 innings of work at the level against the Giants, Mets, Rangers, and Cardinals’ affiliates, recording a strong 3.66 ERA. Being a member of the Angels in 2023 gave the southpaw his only major league experience.
He got pounded to the tune of an 8.44 ERA in 5 1/3 frames during his first taste of major league baseball, despite having dazzled with a 2.95 ERA at the Double- and Triple-A levels that year. After that disappointing debut more than a year ago, Ingram is expected to search for a chance to return to the major leagues with Atlanta the following season.