Despite missing a key reliever for a good chunk of the season, the Atlanta Braves have boasted one of the best bullpens in Major League Baseball.

Entering play Wednesday, Atlanta's bullpen ERA of 3.42 is tied for third in baseball and tied for first in the National League along with the Milwaukee Brewers.

That Braves bullpen is only getting better after an announcement Wednesday of the activation of a reliever who could be an X factor in the postseason.

Robert Suarez has been activated from the IL

Atlanta announced the return of right-handed reliever Robert Suarez on Wednesday. Suarez had been out of action since mid-June while dealing with elbow/forearm inflammation.

Prior to hitting the injured list, Suarez was his dominant self, posting a 0.56 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 32 innings. He has yet to give up multiple runs in an outing this season and has been worth every penny of the three-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Braves.

Atlanta now has arguably the best bullpen of any postseason team

When the Braves signed Suarez, it was originally assumed he'd take over as the closer, the same role he'd previously served with the San Diego Padres.

That wasn't the case, however, as Atlanta opted to stick with Raisel Iglesias in that role and have Suarez available for the eighth inning. Iglesias has collected 34 saves (T-6th) this season, the third time in four seasons that he's collected more than 30 saves.

Suarez and Iglesias, along with Didier Fuentes (2.24 ERA) and Dylan Lee (3.18 ERA), give Atlanta what could be argued as the best bullpen in all of baseball.

What role will Robert Suarez play?

According to Braves beat writer Mark Bowman, Atlanta plans to get Suarez at least two regular-season outings before the wild-card series. 

The trust level for Suarez will somewhat be determined by his production in those two appearances. There's also a bit of blind trust that will have to play a role in how often Suarez pitches in the postseason.

If he is healthy, Suarez can be one of the best non-closing relievers in the postseason and can certainly help Atlanta advance past the NLDS for the first time since winning the World Series in 2021.