Give the Braves’ bullpen time – certainly more than a week, perhaps more than a month.
When discussing Kenley Jansen after Friday’s win, manager Brian Snitker alluded to the condensed spring training perhaps affecting his relievers. It’s not an excuse, but a simple acknowledgement that the shortened schedule has left some of the arms a bit behind.
The Braves, just like every team in baseball, are managing this as best they can. The process isn’t different: Pitching coach Rick Kranitz walks around the clubhouse daily and asks guys how they feel. But the coaches are exercising patience, especially after the Braves played into November last year.
“We want them to be honest with us,” Snitker said before Saturday’s game. “If they’re sore, need a day, that’s good. We’re looking at this thing for six months, not a weekend. We have a plan, and if they do this or that, then they’re going to get a day or two off.
“We have to look at the big picture and the long haul in doing that, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s good that we have the two added pitchers on the staff – to help you to get everybody where we want them to be.”
Collin McHugh on Thursday allowed a home run. Jansen on Friday surrendered three runs, and almost coughed up the lead, in the ninth inning.
As of Saturday, Will Smith and Tyler Matzek had each pitched a scoreless inning. Spencer Strider had thrown two of them.
Don’t read into anything yet. It’s the first week.
“I’m hesitant, even in a completely normal year, to read too much into anything,” McHugh said. “Until we get about a month or even two months in, we’re probably all going to be about two weeks behind.”
Added left-handed reliever Will Smith: “We’re definitely ready. We just didn’t get as many outings as we usually do. It just wasn’t a normal spring training.”
Braves relievers, Smith said, didn’t get to practice pitching on back-to-back days because of the shortened exhibition schedule. They couldn’t execute in-game situations such as finishing one inning then going back out for the next. They didn’t have time.
The good news: The Braves have a talented bullpen. They should be fine. A few of them, like Smith and Spencer Strider, already have had good outings this season. And every team is dealing with this.
The Braves lost Luke Jackson, who has UCL damage in his right arm, for the season. But they’re still deep. They have Jansen, Smith, McHugh, Tyler Matzek and others.
This unit should be a strength for them, which means they might be more equipped to capably get up to speed after the spring training schedule left them a bit behind.
“I think in general, having the extra couple guys on the roster, being able to rotate through a little bit easier without having to put quite a workload on anybody, I think we’re all trying to kind of mitigate the potential of that,” McHugh said. “Personally, I feel pretty good. I don’t feel behind in a big way any more so than I would the first part of the season (in a normal year).”
The Braves expect to have a great bullpen. Because of the circumstances, it might not be wise to judge it until they’re deeper into the season.
“It’s kind of an embarrassment of riches down there,” McHugh said. “You got guys up and down that ‘pen, guys like me and Darren (O’Day) and Kenley – older guys that have been around a while – and younger guys like (Strider) and (Tucker Davidson) and seeing what they’re capable of and what they can do.
“There really is no let up. It really doesn’t matter who’s coming in at any given time. We’re going to make it tough on opposing lineups up and down this league, and they’re going to have to reckon with us all year.”
Anderson’s blister
Right-hander Ian Anderson left his final spring start with a blister on his right great toe, but Snitker said Anderson will still start Sunday’s game versus the Reds.
Snitker said the blister has had enough time to heal a bit, and added the athletic training staff would tape up Anderson enough so it isn’t an issue.
“Just consistency,” Snitker said of what he’s looking for from Anderson this year. “Just keep building on what he’s been building on for the last year and a half. He’s another one that’s still learning. He’s been force fed a lot of big situations in his young career. He’s experienced a lot. A credit to him and his makeup and the confidence he has in himself (that) how he’s handled everything has been unbelievable.”
Piña’s wrist
Snitker said Manny Piña, whom the team scratched from its final spring training lineup because of a sore wrist, said the catcher was going to take batting practice Saturday before the team determined his status for Sunday.
The manager said he hoped Piña could play Sunday.
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