Braves Place Anthony Swarzak on Injured List and Recall Chad Sobotka

The Atlanta Braves bullpen was borderline dreadful during the early stages of the 2019 season and was the primary factor that saw the club hovering around .500 prior to June.

We're not entirely sure what provoked it, but, the Braves pen has made a huge turnaround in recent weeks, perfectly complementing Atlanta's offensive surge that now sees them atop the NL East at 50-34, six games ahead of the second-place Phillies.

In a bittersweet development, however, bullpen godsend Anthony Swarzak has been placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to June 29. The team called up right-hander Chad Sobotka from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move.

The Braves' acquisition of Swarzak from Seattle on May 22 has transcended Atlanta's bullpen to the best in baseball over that month-plus span. Across 17 appearances the right-hander has boasted a microscopic 0.52 ERA, allowing just a single run to cross the plate.

Assuming the 33-year-old vet is held out until after the All-Star break, he will miss just seven games. For the Braves sake, let's hope he is able to return when play resumes on July 12.