The Braves have re-signed left-hander Ray Kerr and right-hander Royber Salinas to minor league contracts, as confirmed by their profiles on MLB.com. Additionally, the team has added left-hander Kolton Ingram on a minor league deal.
Kerr and Salinas were initially non-tendered by Atlanta before last week’s deadline but have now rejoined as depth options. Kerr, who started his MLB career with the Padres, had a solid 2023 season in San Diego, recording a 4.33 ERA and 30.3% strikeout rate over 27 innings. Atlanta traded for him last offseason, absorbing Matt Carpenter’s contract to complete the deal. However, Kerr struggled early in 2024, posting a 5.64 ERA in 10 appearances before undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. Now back with the Braves, Kerr will focus on rehabilitation and aim for a potential return in the latter half of 2025.
Salinas, meanwhile, returned to the Braves earlier this month after being claimed off waivers from the Athletics. Originally signed by Atlanta out of Venezuela, he was traded to Oakland in the Sean Murphy deal before the 2023 season. Salinas faced challenges in the upper minors, with a 5.48 ERA in his first Double-A stint, though he improved to a 3.68 ERA in a repeat of the level. Despite some struggles late in 2024, Salinas will likely serve as bullpen depth for Atlanta, especially with A.J. Minter and Joe Jimenez unavailable for most or all of the 2025 season due to free agency and injury, respectively.
Ingram joins after spending 2024 with four different Triple-A teams (Giants, Mets, Rangers, and Cardinals), posting a 3.66 ERA over 51 2/3 innings and striking out 23.7% of batters faced. His only MLB experience came in 2023 with the Angels, where he struggled in 5 1/3 innings despite strong minor league numbers that year. Now part of Atlanta’s organization, Ingram will aim to work his way back to the majors in 2025 as a depth option.
