From Tommy John Surgery to October Opener: Ray Kerr's Unlikely Rise Powers Braves' Bullpen Plan

Two years ago, Ray Kerr was toiling on the back fields of the Braves' spring training complex in Florida, grinding through Tommy John rehabilitation with no guarantee he would ever throw a major league pitch again. He missed the entire 2025 season and did not appear in a game this year until mid-August.

Since then, he has become the story of October. Kerr made nine regular-season appearances down the stretch, posting a 1.47 ERA over 18 1/3 innings — enough to earn a postseason roster spot as the last arm in the bullpen. Then he started winning games that mattered.

With Atlanta's season on the line in Wild Card Game 3 against Philadelphia, manager Walt Weiss handed Kerr the opener, and the left-hander responded with 3 1/3 shutout innings on one hit in the 6-2 clincher. Two days later, on just 47 pitches and two days' rest, Weiss went to him again to open NLDS Game 2 at Dodger Stadium. Kerr blanked the Dodgers on two hits and a walk over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, setting the tone for a 3-2 victory that evened the series.

Weiss said he planned to keep Kerr on a shorter leash given the workload, but with the left-hander throwing this well, there was no reason to take the ball away. Catcher Drake Baldwin praised Kerr's poise and confidence.

The Braves deliberately saved ace Chris Sale for Game 3 in Atlanta. But it is Kerr, the two-year rehab project, who made that plan possible.