Raisel Iglesias gets four outs for 27th save

Iglesias Navigates Drama for 27th Save

Raisel Iglesias earned his 27th save of the season and the 280th of his career Sunday against the Brewers, but the path was anything but smooth. Pitching with a two-run lead in the ninth, Iglesias walked Brice Turang to start the inning, then gave up a long fly to William Contreras that Michael Harris II caught with a jumping grab at the wall. According to Statcast, the ball would have been a home run in seven ballparks.

Iglesias then induced a comebacker from Jake Bauers that turned into a game-ending double play, even though he made a bad throw to second to start it. He needed 21 pitches to complete the ninth inning, and the outing was his 27th save of the season and No. 280 for his career.

"It's been a tough month for Iglesias, but he had no issues today," noted NBC Sports, which reported the outing. He is now 26-for-29 in save chances this season.

The performance came amid a challenging stretch for the 36-year-old right-hander. He has not been nearly as sharp since the All-Star break, and this was the third time in five outings where he has allowed at least one run. He has scuffled lately, and the outing lowered his ERA to 2.89.

Despite the recent struggles, Iglesias remains the Braves' locked-in closer, according to NBC Sports, which reported that "there are no signs" of a change at the role. The same report noted a belief entering 2026 that Robert Suárez could push Iglesias for saves if he struggled, but Suárez is sidelined, and Didier Fuentes could see additional save opportunities if the team makes a change. NBC Sports also said that Iglesias is not even close to being in jeopardy of losing the job, though Fuentes' emergence might mean Iglesias is no longer the best reliever in his own bullpen.

The Braves entered the ninth inning with a four-run lead two nights in a row and turned to Iglesias both times. They have an off-day tomorrow.

Bullpen Depth and Recent Outings

In earlier appearances, Iglesias has shown both efficiency and vulnerability. In one outing, he struck out two in a scoreless ninth, needing just 10 pitches. On another occasion, Didier Fuentes couldn't hold a 1-0 lead in the eighth, but Atlanta still went to its closer in a tie game; the Braves went ahead in the tenth, and Tyler Kinley converted the save.

Iglesias's recent outings have included a blown save Friday, his third since July. In that game, he took the mound in the bottom of the ninth with a 2-0 lead and allowed an infield single to George Lombard Jr., who reached third on a throwing error by Iglesias. He struck out Ryan McMahon, but a double to Austin Wells cut the lead to 2-1, and Ben Rice singled to tie the game. Iglesias was relieved by Dylan Dodd with the bases loaded, and Dodd retired Luis Garcia Jr. to force extras.

He has struggled in back-to-back outings, allowing four earned runs over the last 1 2/3 innings. In a non-save situation, he was handed a four-run lead, and the pair of runs he allowed hurt his ERA, which now sits at 2.63.

On the season, the right-hander has bounced back, posting a 2.31 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a 43/9 K/BB ratio across 39 innings while converting 23 of his first 25 save chances, according to NBC Sports. In a separate game, he only needed eight pitches to lock down a save and help the Braves avoid a sweep.

Iglesias has also had moments of difficulty, including an outing where he walked the leadoff hitter before Ozzie Albies committed an error on a potential double play, and Jackson Holliday later hit a groundout that tied the game at two. The 36-year-old has bounced back this season with a 2.43 ERA and will remain the locked-in closer.

Suárez Progressing in Recovery

Meanwhile, the Braves received a positive update on Robert Suárez, who has been sidelined since June with right elbow inflammation. Manager Walt Weiss said on Tuesday that the right-hander is progressing well and could be back on a mound soon. Weiss added that Suárez is up to throwing from 100 feet with no issues.

"Still some, you know, some boxes to check off, but once you get back on the mound, start throwing bullpens, then after that, obviously, rehab assignments," Weiss said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated.

Due to the length of time he has been out, Weiss made clear when asked if Suárez could skip a rehab assignment, like closer Raisel Iglesias did earlier this season, that such a decision is not straightforward.

"He's been out for a while," Weiss said. "I mean, that's a conversation with a group of people there: medical staff, Alex and his team, you know, all of us. So, tough to speculate on that right now, but it'd be tough to be out that long to pitch in some games before getting back on a major league mound."

The Braves feel there is still time for Suárez to return before the end of the regular season if there are no setbacks. Suárez last appeared in a game on June 19, and his injured list stint started on June 26, backdated to June 23. The injury was officially ruled as right elbow inflammation.

In 31 games this season, Suárez has posted a 0.56 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. He has pitched as early as the sixth inning and has picked up some saves in the ninth inning. His return would take pressure off a bullpen that has had to cycle through arms, and upcoming expanded rosters should help in this instance, according to Sports Illustrated.