PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 11: Jonny Venters #48 and Brian McCann #16 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate a 6-4 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Chase Field on May 11, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Freddie Freeman walks off the Atlanta Braves with homer in tenth inning by John Le

The Atlanta Braves had to make a difficult decision on Saturday as they released longtime Brave Jonny Venters.

Unfortunately for all involved, the 34-year-old lefty has just not looked the same in 2019 for the Atlanta Braves.

The decision to release Jonny Venters is not difficult if you look at this numbers, but you have to consider how tough this was for the front office, Venters, and fans who love him.

#Braves re-signed Jerry Blevins and gave Jonny Venters his unconditional release. The latter part is difficult for anyone who knows Jonny. Because he isn’t just a good guy, he’s genuinely one of nicest, highest-character individuals I’ve met in my entire life. And the toughest. — David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 18, 2019

Venters made his Major League debut in 2010 with the Atlanta Braves and was lights out with a 1.95 ERA in 83 innings pitched with 93 strikeouts.

He made his first and only All-Star appearance in 2011 and posted a 1.84 ERA in 88 innings with 96 strikeouts.

If we’re being honest, Venters was overused in those first two seasons in Atlanta, and it most likely led to him needing Tommy John Surgery.

Venters would go on to have three TJ surgeries and would not pitch in the big leagues for five seasons.

He made his comeback with the Tampa Bay Rays last year and was very solid — good enough that the Atlanta Braves traded for him to help out the bullpen down the stretch.

Venters made his mark in the big leagues with a devastating slider, which at one time was considered the most unhittable pitch in baseball.

Jonny is still able to throw a mid-90s fastball, but he’s really struggled to locate any of his pitches in 2019 with 8 walks in just 4.2 innings.

This obviously is not how Venters and the Atlanta Braves wanted things to end, but it’s pretty clear that his time in the big leagues is over.

But Jonny is one of the most incredible stories in the history of the game, and he’ll be a beloved player among Braves fans forever.

With his release, the Atlanta Braves re-signed Jerry Blevins — essentially calling him back up from Gwinnett after he was designated for assignment earlier this week.

Outside of giving up 4 runs in a blowout loss to the Dodgers, Blevins has been very solid for the Atlanta Braves since they acquired him from Oakland.

This is certainly hard news to report, and we wish the best for Jonny Venters and wherever he goes next in his career. Hopefully we continue to see him around the ballpark.