The Braves placed relief pitcher Chris Martin on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation Thursday and recalled reliever Sean Newcomb from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Martin has struggled this season, posting a 4.97 ERA in 32 appearances since June 1. He was the losing pitcher in Wednesday night’s 4-3 loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles, unable to hold a 3-2 eighth-inning lead. He was charged with two hits, one walk and one run in one-third of an inning and also allowed an inherited runner to score from second base.
“I guess it had been bothering him a little bit; it wasn’t enough that he couldn’t pitch,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said Thursday of Martin’s elbow. “After (Wednesday’s) game, it flared up on him, so they’re having him checked out.”
Martin, a 35-year-old right-hander, has been scored upon in three of his past four games, allowing a total of four runs and seven hits in 3-1/3 innings across those appearances. He has a 2-4 record with a 4.17 ERA in 40 games this season after posting a 1.00 ERA in 19 games during the shortened 2020 season.
He is on the injured list for the second time this season, having missed 30 games from April 10 through May 12 with right shoulder inflammation.
Newcomb, a 28-year-old left-hander, was 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA in 14 appearances for Gwinnett, allowing nine hits and striking out 27 (with three walks) in 15-2/3 innings.
“He was throwing the ball really good (at Gwinnett),” Snitker said. “He was doing the one-inning stints. Strikeouts were good. He was getting the ball over the plate.”
With the Braves earlier in the season, Newcomb was 2-0 with a 5.68 ERA in 26 games.
