WASHINGTON - Right-hander Huascar Ynoa, who starred in the early portion of the Braves’ season before breaking his hand, will return Tuesday and start in Miami, manager Brian Snitker confirmed Saturday.
Ynoa was perhaps the Braves’ best pitcher earlier in the year, when he had a 2.23 ERA in eight games entering his start May 16, when his struggles in Milwaukee that day led him to punch a dugout bench, breaking his hand and sidelining him for months. Overall, Ynoa had a 3.02 ERA with a 50:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 44-2/3 innings.
The right-hander is with the team in Washington, where the Braves won the series opener 4-2 on Friday night.
Ynoa replaces lefty Kyle Muller, who was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. If he can recapture his past success, Ynoa will further bolster a rotation that’s been among baseball’s best since the All-Star break.
Braves notes:
- Reliever Richard Rodriguez was walking smoothly Saturday after getting hit in the left foot with a ball during his appearance Friday. He told Snitker he’s feeling good. Rodriguez hasn’t allowed a run in eight appearances with the Braves.
“He’s a pretty tough guy to be able to stay out there and finish that inning,” Snitker said.
- Second baseman Ozzie Albies and shortstop Dansby Swanson each hit his 21st homer Friday. The duo is vying to become the fifth middle-infield pairing in MLB history to each hit 25 home runs in a season. It was most recently achieved in 2019 by Yankees infielders DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres.
- The Braves entered Saturday 8-2 in their past 10 games. They’re averaging 5.4 runs per game over that stretch. They’ve won five consecutive road games and six consecutive at Nationals Park.
