Jose Ascanio Heads to Atlanta

Braves general manager John Schuerholz had no problem with Wil Ledezma heading back to his native Venezuela during the All-Star break. But he would have liked for the left-handed reliever to have kept his passport and visa out of the washing machine.

While the details aren't certain, it's believed that Ledezma's visa and passport were damaged when he left them in an article of clothing that was placed in the washer. Consequently, they were destroyed to the point that he wasn't able to travel back to Atlanta for Friday night's series opener against the Pirates.

Ledezma, who was acquired from the Tigers on June 20, has already received a new passport. But because it might be until the middle of next week before he gets the visa that will allow him re-entry into the United States, the Braves have placed him on the restricted list and filled his spot on the 25-man roster by recalling right-handed reliever Jose Ascanio from Double-A Mississippi.

"It's unfortunate," Schuerholz said. "But it's being dealt with and adjusted."

While Ledezma is unavailable, Braves manager Bobby Cox won't have the luxury of having a left-handed reliever in his bullpen. But in 33 appearances for Mississippi, Ascanio has limited left-handed batters to a .212 batting average.

Ascanio is a hard-throwing 22-year-old hurler who has battled back problems in the past. But while posting a 2.44 ERA in his 33 appearances this year, he's proven to be both healthy and reliable. In his past 10 outings, he's worked 17 innings, registered 13 strikeouts, issued four walks and allowed just two earned runs.

Taken from Atlanta Braves.com