After an outing in Seattle, Kirby Yates developed some right elbow soreness. The Braves stayed away from him for almost a week before he tried to test the elbow Friday.
“Tried to play catch (Friday) and just kind of determined it wouldn’t be good if I pitched in a game,” Yates said Saturday. “Had to shut it down.”
The Braves on Friday placed Yates on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. They recalled righty William Woods.
Yates underwent an MRI that revealed the inflammation. He said there is no structural damage.
“That’s the good part,” Yates said. “The other part is I’m back on the (injured list), which is pretty frustrating.”
It is another unfortunate situation for a right-hander who just fought through one. In August, Yates returned from the second Tommy John surgery of his career. He felt like he was pitching better before the inflammation forced him to the injured list. Manager Brian Snitker said Yates has been shut down for five days.
This season, Yates has allowed four earned runs over seven innings. He surrendered four runs over his first four innings as he tried to regain comfort on a big-league mound, but did not give up a run over his past three appearances.
“I didn’t envision me pitching the way I did to come out,” Yates said. “But in saying that, I think the last three outings, I started trending kind of in the right direction, started feeling a little bit more comfortable. Pitching wasn’t as foreign as it was those first few (outings). Just starting to get comfortable and starting to kind of be able to do things on the mound that I did in the past.”
At one point, Yates sat down with bullpen coach Drew French and went over a couple of mechanical tweaks. “Usually, the adjustments you make aren’t big,” Yates said. “They’re usually small little things that can kind of go a long way.”
There were some small mechanical components Yates believed he did well from 2017 through 2019. But August, he hadn’t pitched in a big-league game since 2020. Yates said he began locating his fastball much better, which set up his splitter, before getting hurt.
“He was starting to throw the ball really well,” Snitker said. “I feel for him, everything he’s been through and all that. Hopefully this is may be just a minor setback, and they calm everything down, and they can get him back out there.”
Yates can only sit and watch until his elbow feels well-enough to begin throwing again. His season might be in jeopardy, depending on how long it takes him to recover.
“I hope the season’s not lost,” Yates said. “I don’t feel like it will be, but I also have to kind of trust my body, and the main thing is I don’t want to try and push myself this year and lose next year. I would love to be able to make it back here and see what I can do at the end of the season. If a playoff roster spot is a possibility, then it’s a possibility. But if not, then it is what it is.”
Jansen sprains finger
Braves closer Kenley Jansen was not available Friday. Snitker said Jansen sprained his pinkie finger during batting practice.
Snitker said Jansen’s finger got worse throughout Friday’s game. It swelled, which forced the Braves to stay away from him.
Before Saturday’s game, Snitker said he expected Jansen to be available.
The ripple effect
Ronald Acuña, who had been the designated hitter for a couple of weeks, is back in the outfield. It has created a ripple effect.
Snitker might be able to get William Contreras in the lineup almost daily if Acuña’s knee allows him to continue playing in right field.
On Friday, Contreras collected three hits, including a homer, and drove in two runs. He has blossomed into a key contributor this season.
“He’s matured a lot and he’s done well,” Snitker said. “We’re kind of seeing that potential. I think the skillset that we saw a couple years ago, he’s starting to figure some things out and confidence and all that.”
