An offseason filled with vigorous training, determination and confidence has paid off for veteran big league reliever and Pendleton Countian Nate Jones. Following an impressive spring training stint with the Atlanta Braves, he was formally selected to the club’s opening day roster on March 27.
Jones, 35, will begin his 10th major league season with a talented Braves team that made it all the way to the National League Championship Series last season. Atlanta has high expectations entering the 2021 campaign as they have been picked to repeat at National League East champions and qualify for the postseason.
Jones was rock steady over the past number of weeks for Atlanta as he totaled seven appearances with 7.1 innings pitched and facing 25 batters. He yielded just three hits, one run with a 1.23 earned run average. He notched four strikeouts while giving up just one home run and one walk.
After signing a minor league deal with an invite to spring training with Atlanta back on Feb. 9, Jones was determined to show that he could still be an effective late-innings reliever similar to his early days with the Chicago White Sox. A slew of injuries has hampered his career in recent years, but with all of that now behind him, he looks ahead to his latest challenge in becoming a vital piece to the Braves bullpen.
