Braves reliever Winkler impressive since return from gruesome elbow injury

Dan Winkler has come back from a second major elbow operation and impressed in 10 appearances since joining the Braves bullpen in mid-August. (AP photo)

Credit: John Raoux

Credit: John Raoux

Dan Winkler has come back from a second major elbow operation and impressed in 10 appearances since joining the Braves bullpen in mid-August. (AP photo)

If you held your breath the first time or two that Dan Winkler pitched for the Braves after returning to the majors last month, you were not alone.

Anyone who witnessed the gruesome scene when his elbow snapped throwing a pitch April 10, 2016, after he’d come back from a long rehab for Tommy John surgery on the same elbow … well, seeing him again on a big-league mound was nerve-wracking for everyone in the organization.

Including Winkler, who had to get past the mental barrier while also controlling the soaring adrenaline of finally being back.

“Maybe it was, I’m going to throw it as hard as I can, just to kind of trust it a little bit more,” Winkler said. “But I think I was just excited, being out for a year and a half and being on a major league mound, I had to find that (appropriate) intensity level again.”

He retired the only batter he faced in his first game back Aug. 21 against the Mariners, then gave up a three-run homer to the first batter he faced, Seattle’s Kyle Seager, in his second appearance Aug. 23.

Winkler got the next three guys out that night including two strikeouts, and in eight appearances since then (before Saturday) he gave up two hits and one run in 8 2/3 innings, posting a .080 opponents’ batting average in that span.

“I feel like the first two appearances I was really ramped up, about a 10,” he said. “Then I was kind of just worn out before I even throw a pitch. So just getting that intensity level back to perfect, I guess you could say, like an 8 -- not getting too excited or ramped up. I kind of found my niche here lately.”

To say his return has been a success thus far would be an understatement: Through 10 major league appearances this season before Saturday, Winkler had a 1.80 ERA and .100 opponents’ average, allowing three hits, two runs and four walks with 13 strikeouts in 10 innings.

“Getting outs -- that’s all I’m really worried about,” Winkler said. “I’m not worried about broken elbow, appearances, stuff like that. I’m just getting the ball, getting the sign and throwing pitches and getting outs. That’s really all I’m worried about.”

Braves officials including manager Brian Snitker have been impressed.

“It’s really been good to have Winkler and (rookie left-hander) A.J. (Winkler) come in,” Snitker said. “They’ve done a really good job. They missed a lot of time (this season on the disabled list), and coming up here they’ve been really good. It’s good to have more pieces, and it’s just good to see those guys in some high-leverage situations going forward….

"From what (Winkler) had to experience, that just blows me away, that a guy can come back from what he did anyway. I remembered him a couple of years ago, when I came up at the end of the year and he pitched a little bit coming off his Tommy John (surgery). You watch this kid and he's very confident in what he's doing. Seems like he slows the game down and knows what he's doing. He was a starter (before TJ surgery) so he's had a lot of innings and has an idea about pitching."

There has never been a question about Minter’s status going forward. The 2015 second-round draft pick is considered a prime candidate for setup work or closer duties in the future and possibly as soon as 2018.

But the Braves needed to see Winkler, 27, a Rule 5 pick of theirs in December 2015 who still hasn’t spent the full amount of time that he must be on the 25-man major league roster or be offered back to the Rockies for just $25,000, which is half of the original claiming price.

Now that they’ve seen how good Winkler’s stuff looks, they can presumably pencil him in to begin the 2018 season in the major league bullpen and log at least the several weeks more that he needs to satisfy Rule 5 requirements. And if he continues to pitch as he has since returning last month, he could secure a permanent spot in next year’s bullpen.

Asked if he viewed this as an audition of sorts for next season, Winkler said, “Yeah, absolutely. I think you’re always pitching for your future somewhat. But like I said, I’m just trying to get outs and trying to win baseball games. Yeah, we might be out of it per se right now, but everyone’s pitching for next year, pitching to hopefully win a division title next year. That’s just kind of what I’m trying to do, just help the team win.”