Atlanta declined McHugh's (shoulder) $6 million option for 2024.
The club will pay him a $1 million buyout instead. McHugh had some uncharacteristic struggles in 2023, holding a 4.30 ERA and 47:22 K:BB over 58.2 innings. He also ended the season on the injured list with a shoulder issue. Still, with a 2.09 ERA and 149:26 K:BB over 133.1 frames from 2021-22, McHugh should have plenty of suitors.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Set for rehab assignment
Rotowire
McHugh (shoulder) is set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Gwinnett.
McHugh should be able to return to Atlanta's bullpen by the end of the week, following maybe one or two appearances on the farm. The 36-year-old multi-inning reliever was placed on the 15-day injured list Sept. 6 due to right shoulder inflammation.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Placed on IL
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McHugh was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation.
It's the same injury that landed McHugh on the IL back in April. McHugh will be eligible to return later this month, but at this juncture there is no timetable for his potential return to Atlanta's bullpen.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Perfect in third win
Rotowire
McHugh (3-0) picked up the win in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Tigers, striking out four batters over three perfect innings of relief.
Getting the call in the fifth inning with the score tied 5-5, McHugh completely shut down Detroit's offense over 44 pitches (29 strikes) before handing things off to Atlanta's late-inning crew, and the veteran right-hander was rewarded when his team took the lead in the sixth. It's the fourth time this season McHugh has worked two innings or more but the first time he's thrown more than 40 pitches since May 14, and the 35-year-old got four days of rest after that performance. Expect Michael Tonkin to handle any long-relief duties that might arise for Atlanta over the next few days. McHugh's 2.79 ERA through 29 innings on the season is solid, but it comes with a 1.55 WHIP and 19:10 K:BB.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Will open Sunday vs. Toronto
Rotowire
McHugh will start Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.
McHugh hasn't covered more than three innings or 41 pitches in any of his prior nine relief appearances this season, so he likely won't push too far past those limits as he makes his first start since 2021. Depending on how he fares Sunday, Atlanta could have McHugh get stretched out for a permanent spot in the rotation, given that all of Max Fried (forearm), Kyle Wright (shoulder), Kolby Allard (oblique), Huascar Ynoa (elbow) and Ian Anderson (elbow) are on the shelf with long-term injuries.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Activated from injured list
Rotowire
McHugh was activated from the 15-day injured list by Atlanta on Tuesday.
McHugh has been out since early April with right shoulder inflammation but felt fine during a couple scoreless rehab appearances. He'll slide back into a setup role for Atlanta.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Expected to be activated
Rotowire
McHugh (shoulder) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Monday, MLB.com reports.
McHugh made a three-inning rehab appearance with High-A Rome this past Friday and has bounced back with no issues. He's been out since early April with right shoulder soreness but is ready to rejoin Atlanta's bullpen.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Likely to return soon
Rotowire
McHugh (shoulder) told reporters before Saturday's game that he is feeling good and likely to return in the next couple of days, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports.
McHugh threw 34 pitches over three scoreless innings in a rehab appearance for High-A Rome on Friday. The right-hander will take a couple of days off, and assuming there are no setbacks and McHugh continues to feel well, he should be operating in the Atlanta bullpen by the end of next week.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Making rehab appearance Tuesday
Rotowire
McHugh (shoulder) will make a rehab appearance for High-A Rome on Tuesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
McHugh is currently on the shelf while dealing with inflammation in his right shoulder. The veteran right-hander will likely need to make a handful of bullpen appearances before returning to the Atlanta relief group at some point next week.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Resumes throwing
Rotowire
Manager Brian Snitker said Sunday that McHugh (shoulder) has resumed throwing, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
McHugh landed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation but expects to be activated following a minimal IL stint. The right-hander plans to throw off a mound within a day or two and should have plenty of time to build back up before he's eligible to return in late April.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Doesn't expect long IL stint
Rotowire
McHugh (shoulder) said Thursday that he expects to start throwing again soon, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
McHugh was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday with what has been diagnosed as right shoulder inflammation. He's dealing with some soreness and stiffness, but it doesn't sound like this is going to be an overly lengthy absence for the veteran reliever.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Placed on 15-day IL
Rotowire
McHugh was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right shoulder inflammation.
Jared Shuster has been recalled in a corresponding roster move and will likely get the start for Atlanta on Friday against the Padres. There is no estimated recovery timetable on McHugh, who had allowed one run through 3.2 innings of relief this year.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Gets win in extras
Rotowire
McHugh (2-1) picked up the win in Sunday's extra-innings victory over the Nationals, giving up one hit and one walks while striking out one over two scoreless innings.
The right-hander kept Washington off the board in the 11th and 12th innings, and got rewarded for his efforts when Atlanta finally pushed across a run. McHugh has been asked to pitch more than one inning in five of nine appearances since returning from the COVID-19 list in mid-June but he's handled the workload well, posting a 3.14 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB through 14.1 innings over that stretch with both of his wins on the year. McHugh hasn't recorded a hold since June 5 however, and he doesn't appear to be part of manager Brian Snitker's setup mix at present.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Activated from COVID-19 IL
Rotowire
Atlanta reinstated McHugh (illness) from the COVID-19-related injured list Thursday.
Fellow reliever Jacob Webb was designated for assignment to clear room on the 40-man and 26-man active rosters for McHugh, who had been sidelined since June 7 after testing positive for the virus. Now that he's healthy again, The 34-year-old should reclaim a middle relief/setup role in front of closer Kenley Jansen. McHugh generated a 3.42 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 25:5 K:BB in 23.2 innings prior to landing on the IL.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
McHugh was placed on the injured list Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The reported positive test aligns with the fact that Atlanta declined to specify a reason for McHugh's absence or which particular injured list he landed on. The veteran reliever is reportedly vaccinated, which means he'll be eligible to return whenever the illness has run its course, though it's difficult to say exactly when that will happen. Jacob Webb was acquired from the Diamondbacks for cash considerations and will take McHugh's place on the roster for now.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Charged with blown save Sunday
Rotowire
McHugh didn't allow a baserunner in two-thirds of an inning during Sunday's loss to the Padres.
Despite his own line being clean, McHugh got stuck with his second blown save of the season as he entered the game with one out in the seventh inning and Atlanta holding a 3-2 lead, and he allowed an inherited runner to score. The veteran righty has been a disappointment so far in 2022, posting a 4.97 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB through 12.2 innings with only one hold.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Stuck with loss Friday
Rotowire
McHugh (0-1) took the loss Friday as Atlanta fell 6-3 to the Brewers, giving up two runs on one hit and one walk in one-third of an inning.
The veteran right-hander took over for rookie Spencer Strider to begin the sixth inning in a 2-2 tie and quickly made a bit of a mess, and while the loss ended up going on McHugh's ledger, it was Tyler Matzek who allowed both inherited runners to score. McHugh has a sharp 16:3 K:BB through 10.1 innings over 10 appearances this season, and while his 6.10 ERA and 1.55 WHIP are rough, his 2.10 FIP indicates he deserves a better fate.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Picks up first hold
Rotowire
McHugh struck out the only batter he faced in Monday's 5-2 win over the Mets to record his first hold of the season.
The veteran right-hander was expected to fill a key setup role in Atlanta's bullpen, but McHugh has had a rocky start to the year, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.44 WHIP despite a 14:2 K:BB through 8.1 innings. He's tossed more than one inning in three of his eight appearances but less than a full inning in four others, and that kind of unpredictable usage could limit his fantasy upside even if his ratios do improve.
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Braves' Collin McHugh: Links up with Atlanta
Rotowire
McHugh agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with Atlanta on Tuesday. The contract includes a club option worth $6 million for 2024, which has a $1 million buyout.
McHugh was a key piece for Tampa Bay's bullpen in 2021 with a 1.55 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 74:12 K:BB across 64 innings, and he'll now join the defending World Series champions. The veteran right-hander posted strong strikeout and walk rates (30.0 and 4.9 percent, respectively) last year and should step into a high-leverage role in Atlanta's bullpen.
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Rays' Collin McHugh: Opening Game 4
Rotowire
McHugh will serve as the Rays' opening pitcher Monday against the Red Sox as part of a bullpen day in Game 4 of the ALDS, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Manager Kevin Cash hasn't appointed a primary pitcher to work behind McHugh, as the Rays will instead likely turn to a cadre of arms to fill innings out of the bullpen. As Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network notes, all of Josh Fleming, JT Chargois, Pete Fairbanks, J.P. Feyereisen, Andrew Kittredge and Matt Wisler tossed 20 pitches or fewer in Sunday's 13-inning loss, so the Tampa Bay bullpen should be relatively fresh for Monday's contest.
