67 Phil Pfeifer RP

Pfeifer was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

Pfeifer is 28 years old and has yet to make his big-league debut. He missed last season due to a bone contusion in his elbow, but he's shown flashes in the upper minors, so it's possible he makes his big-league debut at some point this season if Atlanta needs bullpen depth.

Pfeifer was placed on the 45-day injured list Tuesday with a bone contusion in his left elbow, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

Pfeifer didn't seem likely to fill a significant role in the Braves' bullpen this season, as he's a 28-year-old who's yet to reach the majors. He'll now be ineligible to make his debut until early September at the earliest.

The Braves optioned Pfeifer to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

After being added to the 40-man roster over the winter, Pfeifer was given the chance to vie for a spot in the Braves' Opening Day bullpen. Even though Pfeifer held batters to a .185 average while allowing just one run across 7.1 spring innings, the Braves will take advantage of the fact that he has minor-league options remaining and stash him at Triple-A for now. The lefty could make his big-league debut at some point later in 2020.

Pfeifer's contract was selected by the Braves on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old will be protected from the Rule 5 draft despite seemingly stalling out at the Triple-A level. He's spent time there in each of the last three seasons, stumbling to a 5.57 ERA in 63.0 innings. He did produce a solid 2.97 ERA in 133.1 innings overall last season, but only 7.1 of those innings came with Triple-A Gwinnett.