The Atlanta Braves designated 27-year-old left-hander Hayden Harris for assignment on Wednesday, opening a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Elieser Hernández, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Atlanta also optioned right-hander Blake Burkhalter back to Gwinnett a day after his major league debut.
Harris, a Georgia native and Georgia Southern product, signed with the Braves as an undrafted free agent in July 2022. He reached the majors last September after a dominant minor-league season, posting a 0.52 ERA with a 40.3 percent strikeout rate across 52 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
He debuted on Sept. 2, 2025, against the Chicago Cubs and finished the year with a 3.38 ERA in 2 2/3 innings over three appearances. He did not record a strikeout.
This season never developed the same way. Harris did not pitch in the majors in 2026. Atlanta recalled him briefly in mid-April, then optioned him to Gwinnett without an appearance.
He spent most of the year with the Stripers before a late-August assignment to Double-A Columbus. Combined across those two levels, he went 7-4 with a 5.55 ERA, 64 strikeouts and a 1.68 WHIP in 48 2/3 innings. Walks were the problem: one report put him at 37 walks in that span. His strikeout rate remained solid but no longer elite.
Harris is a two-pitch lefty whose four-seamer sits in the low 90s. He has long generated swings and misses with deception and carry more than raw velocity, pairing the fastball with a slider.
That profile made him an intriguing relief option a year ago. A 5-plus ERA and rising walk rate at Triple-A made him expendable when the club needed a 40-man opening for Hernández, a 31-year-old veteran making his third stint with Atlanta this season.
Designation for assignment starts a seven-day window. The Braves can trade Harris, place him on waivers, or release him.
If he clears waivers, they could outright him to the minors, though he would have the right to refuse and become a free agent depending on service time. Given his age, left-handedness, and prior strikeout rates, another organization could take a look.
The move is a familiar September roster shuffle for a first-place club managing innings and depth.
For Harris, it is a sharp turn from last year’s breakout. A year after forcing his way onto the 40-man with one of the minors’ best relief seasons, the Augusta product is now fighting to stay in the organization that signed him out of Georgia Southern.
