The Atlanta Braves have released right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley after designating him for assignment earlier this week, according to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Chad Bishop.
Kinley is expected to become a free agent once he clears release waivers, giving him the opportunity to explore other options around the league.
Kinley was removed from Atlanta’s roster after the Braves recalled AJ Smith-Shawver.
Because the MLB trade deadline has already passed, Atlanta could not trade him and instead had the choice of placing him on outright waivers or releasing him.
Since Kinley has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and retain his salary while entering free agency, the Braves opted to release him rather than take that route.
The Braves acquired Kinley from the Colorado Rockies at last year’s trade deadline, and he immediately delivered impressive results.
He posted a 0.72 ERA across 25 innings after joining Atlanta, although some of that success was aided by favorable luck, including a .156 BABIP and a 96.4% strand rate. Even so, his 2.74 FIP and 3.80 SIERA indicated that his performance was not entirely fluky.
Following that strong finish, Atlanta declined his $5.5 million club option and paid a $750,000 buyout before bringing him back in January on a one-year, $4.25 million guaranteed contract.
That deal included a $3 million salary for 2026 and a $1.25 million buyout attached to another $5.5 million club option for 2027.
However, Kinley struggled to reproduce his previous success this season, posting a 4.01 ERA while recording a 5.41 FIP and an 11.2% walk rate.
With the reliever no longer in the Braves’ plans, the organization ultimately decided to move on.
If Kinley clears release waivers, Atlanta will remain responsible for the remaining portion of his contract and the option buyout, although another team signing him would only owe him the prorated league minimum while he is on its roster.
Despite his uneven 2026 campaign, Kinley owns a respectable career record, including a 4.67 ERA despite spending much of his career pitching in Colorado.
With the trade deadline already passed and teams looking for bullpen depth, the veteran right-hander could still attract interest on the open market.
