Bummer signs minors deal with Royals

The Royals optioned the 32-year-old left-hander to Triple-A Omaha on Friday but Bummer decided that he’d rather test the open market instead of reporting to Triple-A Omaha. He should be able to land elsewhere on a minor league pact.

Bummer, 32, has really struggled during his chances in the big leagues this season, registering a 10.26 ERA, 2.10 WHIP and a 13/11 K/BB ratio over 16 2/3 innings between the Braves and Royals. He’ll continue to serve as extra bullpen depth at Triple-A Omaha.

With Luinder Avila (forearm) hitting the injured list on Sunday, Bummer will add a fresh arm to the bullpen for at least a few days while the club figures out how to backfill their rotation. Bummer, 32, holds an unsightly 7.63 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and a 13/10 K/BB ratio over 15 1/3 innings in 19 appearances with the Braves at the big league level this season.

Bummer had allowed four runs on six hits in four innings at Triple-A Iowa with a 3/2 K/BB ratio. He also had a 7.63 ERA in 15 1/3 innings with the Braves earlier this season. He will try to find a minor league contract on a less competitive team and see if he can break back into the big leagues.

Bummer was released last week by Atlanta after forging an ugly 7.63 ERA over 15 1/3 innings. The southpaw will likely head to Triple-A Iowa, but if he pitches well there, he has a good chance of joining the Chicago bullpen this summer.

Bummer was making $9.5 million this season under the terms of a backloaded deal, so the Braves will eat about $6 million by cutting him. The left-hander dealt with a shoulder injury last year and then posted a 7.63 ERA over 15 1/3 innings this season. His velocity is down about three mph from where he was in 2024, prior to the shoulder injury. Someone may give him a minor-league offer in hopes of getting his velocity back up.

Nothing has changed in the prognosis for the 31-year-old southpaw — who will miss the reset of the season with inflammation in his pitching shoulder — this was done as a procedural move to free up a spot on the team’s 40-man roster for the addition of Brett Wisely on Thursday.

No word yet on how much time Bummer figures to miss, but shoulder ailments typically lead to extended absences, which puts his season in jeopardy. The 31-year-old southpaw has posted a strong 3.81 ERA across 54 1/3 innings (42 appearances, two starts) during his second season in Atlanta.

Bummer drew the start for the Braves on Saturday in a bullpen game and tossed two scoreless inning with five strikeouts before the Orioles got to him in the third. Tyler O’Neill took him deep for a solo homer, followed by a two-run shot by Jordan Westburg that would end the day for Bummer. Dylan Dodd came in to relieve him and gave up two runs over 2 2/3.

Snitker declined to name a specific stopper, but added that Iglesias isn’t going to be the primary option anymore. The 35-year-old veteran played a prominent role during a Chernobyl-sized meltdown against the Diamondbacks on Thursday when Atlanta coughed up a six-run lead in the final frame. He’s struggled to a calamitous 6.75 ERA across 24 innings (25 appearances) this season, while converting just eight of 12 save opportunities. It’ll likely be some combination of Iglesias, Dylan Lee, Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer and Enyel De Los Santos in the mix for save chances. It’s a situation fantasy managers should try to avoid at all costs.