RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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SportsMoney Braves Cut Ties With Veteran Shortstop After Ronald Acuna Jr Move By Peter Chawaga ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Peter Chawaga is a writer and editor covering Major League Baseball. Follow Author Jul 28, 2026, 07:30am EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Summary Ronald Acuna Jr.'s return from a rehab stint has prompted a series of roster changes for the Atlanta Braves. To accommodate Acuna, the team optioned outfielder Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A Gwinnett. This move, part of broader organizational adjustments, led to the Gwinnett Stripers releasing veteran infielder Aaron Schunk. Schunk, 28, had provided infield depth for the Stripers since joining the Braves organization this offseason. While not a direct corresponding move for Acuna, his release reflects the team's ongoing efforts to reshape its depth as the trade deadline approaches. Schunk, who previously played 55 MLB games with the Rockies, is now a free agent and may attract interest from other clubs seeking experienced infielders.
The Atlanta Braves continue making roster adjustments as they try to navigate the final stretch into the trade deadline. On Monday, attention centered on the return of franchise cornerstone Ronald Acuna Jr. from a rehab stint, but the ripple effects have extended throughout the organization and spelled the end for a veteran infielder.
When the Braves brought Acuna back following a prolonged injury, they optioned an outfield replacement to the minors to make room for him. And that evidently necessitated some changes in Triple-A, including the decision to cut ties with veteran shortstop Aaron Schunk.
One of those moves came in Triple-A, where veteran infielder Aaron Schunk was released. According to his official MiLB transactions page, the “Gwinnett Stripers released SS Aaron Schunk.”
The Gwinnett Stripers released Shunk on Monday, according to the official transaction log , coinciding with the decision to move an outfielder off of the big-league roster.
“The Braves today returned OF Ronald Acuña Jr. from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list, and optioned OF Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A Gwinnett,” the team announced on X , formerly Twitter.
While Schunk's release was not the direct corresponding move for Acuna's activation, the flurry of roster decisions was likely necessitated by the need to make some room for the superstar slugger to start the week.
Schunk had spent the season providing infield depth for the Stripers after joining the Braves organization in the offseason.
Atlanta represented Schunk's first professional organization outside of the Colorado Rockies, who originally selected him in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
“Schunk, 28, changes organizations for the first time in his career,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Darragh McDonald reported when the Braves signed Schunk in December. “He was drafted by the Rockies in 2019, selected in the second round, and has been with that club until a few weeks ago. With Colorado, he got into 55 big league games over the past two seasons. He stepped to the plate 131 times but struck out in 31.3% of those plate appearances and only drew a walk 3.1% of the time as he put up a tepid .222/.246/.302 line.”
Although Schunk never returned to the majors with Atlanta, his experience and defensive versatility made him a useful option at Triple-A throughout the season.
Now, with Acuna back in Atlanta and the Braves continuing to reshape organizational depth entering the stretch run, Schunk becomes a free agent once again. At 29 years old and with previous major league experience, he could quickly draw interest from another organization seeking experienced infield depth before the season concludes.
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