Two weeks ago Livan Hernandez had a 2.45 ERA. Today the Braves designated him for assignment.
In between Hernandez had a pair of horrendous outings, coughing up a total of nine runs in 4.2 innings while managing just one strikeout.
In letting him go the Braves clear a spot on the roster for Kris Medlen, who’s returning from Tommy John surgery and built up his arm strength in the minors in case he’s needed as a starter.
Normally I’d say this might be the end of the line for Hernandez, but I’ve been saying that about him since 2008 and yet somehow he keeps finding jobs and keeps being semi-useful.
Hernandez has pitched for six teams in the past six seasons, logging 986 innings with a 4.87 ERA during that time. His final numbers with the Braves include a 4.94 ERA in 31 innings, which is actually pretty impressive for a 37-year-old who throws in the low-80s with just 5.0 strikeouts per nine innings.