theathleticuk
With the National League East title secured and a first-round bye now a long shot, the Atlanta Braves are shifting their focus to the opening round of the playoffs, where they will face the third-seeded wild-card team. A key part of that preparation involves reliever Robert Suarez, who is set to be activated from the injured list this week.
Braves manager Walt Weiss indicated that Suarez will be activated and pitch on Wednesday, though there is a slight chance his outing could be delayed. The goal is to get Suarez a few appearances before the NL Wild Card Series begins next week.
Suarez, who has been sidelined since June 26 with right elbow inflammation, made his lone rehab appearance for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, striking out one and allowing one hit in a scoreless inning. His fastball averaged 96 mph and topped out at 97 mph. While his command was solid, it should improve with more innings as he shakes off rust from his last major-league outing on June 19.
Normally, Suarez would get another minor-league appearance or two before being activated, but with the Triple-A season over, those innings will have to come in the majors. "It's important that he gets in a major-league game or two before he has to be thrown into that environment in the postseason to be fair to him," Weiss said. It appears that will happen, as Weiss added, "We'll get to see him a couple times."
Suarez is no stranger to postseason pitching, having been part of the San Diego Padres bullpen, including as closer, on three occasions. He owns a 2.45 ERA in 14 2/3 innings with 13 strikeouts and two walks in the playoffs. At the time of his injury, Suarez had a 0.56 ERA, the best in MLB, and served as the Braves' setup man. However, don't expect him to be used only in close games. Regardless of the score, inning, or situation, getting on a major-league mound and feeling healthy afterward is essential for Suarez to be at his best in the postseason. As long as he feels great during and after his appearances, he will slide back into that setup role, adding flexibility to the bullpen, particularly with rookie right-hander Didier Fuentes, who has essentially filled that role. Fuentes could now be used as a multi-inning reliever.
Other players on the injured list could also factor into the postseason. Here is where they stand:
Bryce Elder
When asked about Bryce Elder's progress after surgery on his right knee, Weiss's face lit up with a smile. "Bryce looks good," Weiss said. "It's amazing how quickly he's recovered from that surgery. He was moving around well. You wouldn't even know (he was injured) if you didn't see the sleeve on his leg (with) the way he's moving around, so that's good."
Elder had been throwing on flat ground in Houston and was seen pitching off the mound ahead of the Braves' series opener in Atlanta. On Sept. 8, he had bone fragments removed, which had caused pain in his right knee after outings. The hope at the time was that Elder could return deep into the postseason. "I didn't know that I was going to bounce back this quickly," Elder said. "So I'm really happy with how it feels, and glad that it went as good as it did."
Given Elder's injury and lack of rehab assignments due to affiliates' seasons being over, it's likely that if he does return for the postseason, it will be out of the bullpen. Through May, Elder held a 2.50 ERA, 10th best in MLB, with 61 strikeouts to 22 walks in 72 innings. Over his five starts in August, Elder had a 5.22 ERA in 29 1/3 innings. His last start came Aug. 31. He was going to be available out of the bullpen before he was placed on the injured list. The Braves bullpen has a 3.42 ERA, third best in MLB, and is deep enough that there might not be a reason to hurry Elder, especially if it could do more damage than good long term. "I'm obviously not going to rush it in a stupid way," Elder said. "I'm going to do everything I can to be back as soon as possible in the safest manner."
Lane Thomas
Lane Thomas was brought in to mash left-handers and was doing just that, posting a .804 OPS against southpaws in his 21 games with the Braves. But while taking batting practice on Sept. 10, he strained his left intercostal. Thomas took a cortisone injection last week and has been hitting off the tee. He might still be available if the Braves reach the National League Division Series. "He's feeling better," Weiss said. "But there's still a little ways to go for him." Thomas's absence paves the way for Brewer Hicklen to sneak onto the postseason roster.
How the Braves are approaching this week
You've heard of Christmas in July. How about spring training in September? That's essentially what this week will look like for the Braves, especially on the pitching front. It is likely that the Braves already have mapped out a pitching schedule for their bullpen with the team having clinched the division and out of realistic reach from the postseason bye. "You're trying to find the sweet spot between rest and rust, so they're ready to go when the postseason starts," Weiss said. "So how I manage the pitching will look very different. But other than that, it won't look much different at all."
That means some pitchers might be used outside their normal roles. Perhaps Raisel Iglesias won't be held for save situations. Suarez might pitch in low-leverage situations. Fuentes won't throw back-to-back days, as he has this season. Instead, it will be a more balanced approach, and expect Ray Kerr, Brent Suter, and AJ Smith-Shawver to eat innings over the course of the week.
As far as offense goes, Weiss plans to give his starters full days off or a designated hitter spot. But it does offer fringe players such as Kyle Farmer, Dominic Smith, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., and Hicklen the opportunity to audition for roles on the postseason roster, which shrinks from the current 28 players to 26.
Originally reported by theathleticuk.