Luke

Williams

Williams returns to Atlanta as quality organizational depth after a brief stint on the open market. The versatile 29-year-old got into a pair of games for the Braves last weekend while Michael Harris II was away from the club on paternity leave.

It seems like these situations usually end with the player returning to Atlanta on a brand-new minor league pact fairly quickly. Williams was ousted from the club’s 40-man roster earlier this week after spending a couple games in the big leagues while Michael Harris II was away on paternity leave over the weekend.

Williams was up with Atlanta for a pair of contests with Michael Harris II away from the club on paternity leave. The 29-year-old figures to pass through waivers unclaimed and return to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Williams gets the call to provide some extra bench versatility for the Braves while starting center fielder Michael Harris II is away from the club on paternity leave for the next couple days.

Dodd has the most big league experience of the bunch and should get an opportunity at some point during the 2026 season, but he’s not the biggest surprise in this group. That honor goes to JR Ritchie, who posted a stellar 2.25 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and a 14/5 K/BB ratio over 12 innings during Grapefruit League action. Given the injuries in the Braves’ rotation, it’s mildly shocking that he didn’t head north with the big league club.

Williams returns to Atlanta as a versatile bench depth option after getting into 29 contests last season, slashing just .129/.176/.194 with zero homers, five RBI and five stolen bases across 39 plate appearances. His defensive malleability offers some appeal in a reserve role but he’s more of a short-term stopgap than a plausible long-term solution. He can be safely ignored in all fantasy formats.

The versatile 29-year-old appeared in 39 games for the Braves during the 2025 season, slashing a meager .129/.176/.194 with zero homers, five RBI and five stolen bases in only 39 plate appearances. He’ll look to latch on elsewhere as a utility option.

The lone surprise here is Kelenic as the former top prospect passed through waivers unclaimed and loses his spot on Atlanta’s 40-man roster. The 26-year-old batted just .195/.275/.268 across 91 plate appearances following an early-August demotion to the minors after posting a calamitous .531 OPS in 24 games at the big-league level this season. He’ll likely need to show some signs of life in the minors before he receives another opportunity at the highest level.

Williams has been summoned to fill the spot on Atlanta’s bench vacated by an injured Jake Fraley (oblique). The 29-year-old’s defensive versatility makes him an ideal fit in a bench role, but he went just 4-for-30 with five steals in 38 games earlier this season at the big-league level.

Williams had been designated for assignment earlier in the week, but he passed through waivers unclaimed and will continue to function as extra depth for the Braves at the Triple-A level. The 29-year-old went just 4-for-30 with five stolen bases in his limited action with the big league club.