The Braves are hopeful the worst is behind reliever Raisel Iglesias.
Atlanta’s (former for now) closer goes into Wednesday’s game against the Mets on a three-game scoreless streak. The Cuban has rebounded from a brutal stretch at the end of May and start of June in a return to form that would be a crucial lift moving forward for a team in desperate need of bullpen stability.
“His slider’s coming back to normal, I saw him use it (Tuesday) really well, and his changeup looks nasty,” fellow Atlanta reliever Dylan Lee said Wednesday. “It’s just what happens sometimes, you go in little slumps. He sticks to his routine, he knows that he doesn’t need to freak out or anything and he’s gonna be the Raisel we know.”
Because of his recent run of success, Iglesias declined a pregame chat Wednesday because of, you know, not wanting to jinx things. The 35-year-old certainly wouldn’t want to mess with a good thing after a recent 11-appearance stretch that saw him allow 11 earned runs over 10 innings.
The low point: The season’s most excruciating defeat to this point, an 11-10 collapse against Arizona on June 5 when Iglesias surrendered three runs on four hits and a walk during the course of Atlanta blowing a 10-4, ninth-inning lead.
Iglesias’ struggles have been alarming and perplexing for a man who saved 34 games for the Braves in 2024. But Lee said he and his bullpen mates had confidence the veteran would right the ship.
“We know, we’ve all been through it, little hiccups here and there,” Lee said. “I’ve never been in the role he has, but I know it’s tough. Seeing him get out of it (now), the year he had last year, we know it’s all there.”
Braves manager Brian Snitker has said the club will close games by committee in the interim. If Iglesias pitches like he has his past three outings, however, he may be on a trajectory to return to the closer role he once had.
Iglesias has allowed just one hit — a single that was erased on a double play in Friday’s win over the Rockies — over his last three innings of work. He has faced nine batters, thrown 23 strikes in 31 pitches and fanned four hitters.
On Tuesday, in a 4-4 game in the top of the 10th against the Mets, Iglesias struck out Jared Young, got Francisco Alvarez to fly out to shallow right and made Ronny Mauricio lob a pop out back of shortstop. His 11 pitches held the first-place Mets scoreless and kept Luisangel Acuña stranded at second base.
Austin Riley’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning gave Atlanta a 5-4 win.
“That was big for (Iglesias),” Snitker said. “That’s a big game for him because he’s kind of working his way back in to being a guy again. I think he’s had like three in a row now, maybe four, where we’ve seen some really good signs which is really good because we’re gonna need him.”
If Iglesias is able to hurl a scoreless inning in his next outing it would mark just the second time this season the reliever has put together four straight appearances without allowing a run.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
