Héctor Neris is reportedly returning to the NL East

Héctor Neris — who spent parts of eight seasons with the Phillies to open his career — is returning to the NL East. 

Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that the veteran right-handed reliever has signed a minor-league deal with the Braves that includes an invite to big-league camp:

Braves signed Hector Neris. He’s an NRI who’ll be in camp today. That means there are 49 players in big-league camp.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) March 3, 2025

It's a bit of an ironic landing spot because some of the most deflating moments of Neris' career have come against the Braves. Neris, who will turn 36 in June, has actually been around long enough that he made four appearances at Turner Field early in his career. But since Truist Park opened in 2017, it's been a house of horrors for Neris, who has a 6.98 ERA in 22 career appearances at the stadium. 

Even at this advanced stage of Neris' career, it's a bit surprising that he couldn't get a guaranteed MLB deal. He posted a 4.10 ERA over 62 games in 2024, a campaign he split between the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros. But he's just two seasons removed from posting a 1.71 ERA over 71 appearances for the Astros. He's also been one of the most durable pitchers of this era, as he leads all relievers with 575 appearances since the start of the 2016 season. The next closest is Kenley Jansen at 533. 

Should Neris make the Braves, he'll be joining a bullpen with the likes of Raisel Iglesias, Aaron Bummer and Pierce Johnson. The Braves won 89 games last year, despite being hit with about the worst injury luck you can possibly have. They had to settle for a Wild Card spot, snapping their streak of six consecutive division titles as the Phillies took home the NL East crown for the first time since 2011. Now, Neris could be part of trying to prevent the Phillies from winning a second straight NL East title. 

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