The Atlanta Braves spent Monday night dropping the opener of their three-game set at Wrigley Field, falling 8-3 to the Chicago Cubs.
With Game 2 slated for 7:40 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the organization made a quieter move that received far less attention than the scoreboard: three players were promoted from Double-A Columbus to Triple-A Gwinnett, via the MiLB transaction log.
Catcher Adam Zebrowski, right-hander Davis Polo, and right-hander Drue Hackenberg all received the call.
Zebrowski, 25, was Atlanta’s 13th-round pick in 2021 out of St. John Fisher University. He has already seen a handful of Triple-A games this year and posted a .231/.289/.349 line with nine home runs and 42 RBI at Double-A. Across 474 career minor-league games his slash line sits at .225/.315/.393.
Polo, a 21-year-old signed out of Colombia in April 2022, has been one of the more effective arms in the system. Working across three levels this season, he owns a 3.15 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts in 123 innings. His career ERA over 247 innings is 4.01.
Hackenberg, 24, was the Braves’ second-round selection in 2023 from Virginia Tech. He spent most of 2026 at Triple-A before a recent stint back at Double-A. This year he has a 4.30 ERA in 88 innings; his career numbers show a 4.33 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 316 strikeouts in 297 1/3 innings.
The promotions come while the Braves sit first in the National League East at 88-63, holding a 4½-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. Atlanta has dropped four of its last ten games.
If the regular season ended today, the club would host the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Series.
Moves of this kind rarely generate headlines during a pennant race, yet they reflect the constant shuffling required to keep the pipeline healthy.
Gwinnett now has additional catching depth and two more right-handed options as September roster decisions and possible October needs come into view.
Whether any of the three reach Atlanta before the year is over remains to be seen, but the organization has at least given them a higher platform from which to force the issue.
The series against the Cubs continues Tuesday night under the lights at Wrigley.
The Braves will try to even the set while the newly promoted players begin their work one level closer to the majors.
