NORTH PORT, Fla. – It had been almost 19 months since Huascar Ynoa took the mound in a game – and to be exact, 569 days separated his last outing and Saturday, when he returned from Tommy John surgery.
“After such a long time not being on the mound, to be honest, I felt a little anxious,” Ynoa said. “But once I settled in, I started making adjustments.”
Ynoa pitched a scoreless seventh inning against the Pirates at CoolToday Park. He allowed one hit and walked a batter, but also struck out one.
He was up to 94 mph, according to MLB.com. Context: When he was last fully healthy, in 2021, Ynoa’s four-seam fastball averaged 96.5 mph. So consider Saturday a nice first step.
“I feel really happy,” Ynoa said. “Maybe if I got one more inning, maybe I could’ve thrown 96 (mph), 95 (mph).”
Earlier in camp, Ynoa experienced shoulder soreness that forced him to go one week without throwing. This is why it took him until March 16 to log his spring debut.
“I’m happy for him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, “that he finally got out there and could get an inning under his belt.”
Before Saturday, Ynoa hadn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 24, 2022, when he threw two innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. But Ynoa’s elbow was bothering him when he entered camp that spring. “But you know how things are: You kind of just want to fight through it and stay quiet and make it work,” he said. He now feels great.
Given that Ynoa isn’t fully built up yet, he likely won’t make the team. The battle for the fifth starter went on without him.
Still, he could be an important piece for the future of Atlanta’s rotation.
“The only thing I can control is try and stay healthy – work (to stay healthy) and continue to do my work and continue to regain the form that I found in ‘21,” Ynoa said.
It brought him peace to get through Saturday’s outing healthy.
“It was a (feeling of) tranquility and extreme relief to come out of it (healthy), because I haven’t pitched healthy since the end of ‘21,” Ynoa said.
Ronald Acuña Jr. to play in the outfield on Sunday
Ronald Acuña Jr. (right meniscus irritation) returned to the lineup on Thursday as the designated hitter. The star didn’t play on Friday in Lakeland or on Saturday.
After Saturday’s game, Snitker said Acuña will play right field on Sunday. It’s assumed he’ll play in North Port.
Sunday starters
The Braves have a split-squad on Sunday. One group will stay in North Port to face the Red Sox and the other will go to Sarasota to play the Orioles.
Spencer Strider will start in Sarasota. Reynaldo Lopez will pitch in North Port.
How did the Braves decide this?
Snitker said the club wanted Lopez to be able to stay home. He pitched in North Port on Feb. 26, but has since gone to Dunedin, Fort Myers and Bradenton for subsequent outings.
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