Braves Activate $45 Million Weapon Robert Suarez Just in Time for October

The Atlanta Braves just got their $45 million setup man back right before the games actually matter. Robert Suarez has officially been activated from the injured list after a three-month stint on the shelf for right elbow inflammation.

To make room for the veteran fireballer, the Braves optioned Owen Murphy back to Triple-A Gwinnett. This means Suarez gets a couple of low-stress tune-up games against the Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins before the National League Wild Card series kicks off on Tuesday.

"Manager Walt Weiss noted the importance of getting Suarez into a regular-season game before the postseason environment."

Before his elbow started barking on June 19, Suarez was pitching like a guy who had a cheat code installed. He posted a laughable 0.56 ERA across 31 appearances. For context, if you have an ERA that starts with a zero in late June, you are either throwing a wiffle ball or you are Robert Suarez.

Atlanta handed him a three-year, $45 million contract last winter specifically for this exact time of year. You do not pay a setup man $15 million a season to pitch in May. You pay him to come out of the bullpen in October and make opposing hitters question their career choices.

Adding a healthy Suarez to a bullpen that already features Raisel Iglesias completely changes the math for anyone looking at Atlanta's postseason odds. Shortening the game to six innings is the ultimate playoff weapon, and the Braves just reloaded theirs.

Manager Walt Weiss wants to get him into a regular-season game or two before throwing him into the playoff fire. Expect to see Suarez jogging out of the bullpen this weekend to knock off the rust before the real chaos starts next week.