PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA – The Braves set their 25-man roster for the regular season, keeping left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes for the final spot in the bullpen and Brooks Conrad as a backup infielder.
Manager Bobby Cox announced Friday that Reyes had beaten out left-hander Jonny Venters, while Conrad was kept over fellow infielder Joe Thurston. The Braves’ 12-man pitching staff will also include right-hander Jesse Chavez, who had a terrible spring but a bit of a track record: 73 relief appearances for Pittsburgh last season.
Reyes appeared in six games for Atlanta last season – five of them starts – and went 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA. He spent most of the season starting at Triple-A Gwinnett, but will have to adjust to a new role in long relief if he wants to stay in the big leagues.