Braves manager Brian Snitker stated a commonly shared belief Friday afternoon: More likely than not, Ian Anderson will make his MLB debut in the coming weeks.
Anderson, the Braves’ No. 1 pitching prospect, has drawn rave reviews at the team’s alternate training site in Gwinnett. The 22-year-old right-hander soon could have a chance to earn a rotation spot.
“He’s throwing real well,” Snitker said. “He had another good outing yesterday. I came into this whole year thinking we’d see Ian Anderson at some point this year. I thought that in February and March before we broke this thing down. I think there’s still a good chance we’re going to see him.”
The rotation in flux helps Anderson’s case. The Braves have one reliable starter – Max Fried, who’s pitching Friday against the Phillies – and the rest of the group is patchwork. Right now, it includes converted long relievers (with past starting experience) Josh Tomlin and Robbie Erlin. Touki Toussaint also is still in the rotation, which may proceed with only four members for the next week because of the Braves’ schedule.
Anderson might not be an answer – the Braves have seen how young pitchers aren’t often productive early – but he’s an increasingly logical option. As Snitker said, the team expected he would debut this season anyway, and that’s without accounting for the rotation’s destruction.
Whenever Anderson is deemed ready, he’ll be making his major-league debut. He likely will be the second of the Braves’ top three prospects to appear this season, following outfielder Cristian Pache’s expected debut Friday. Outfielder Drew Waters is the third.
Anderson, who was the third overall pick in the 2016 draft, has pitched in only five games above Double-A.
“That’s where we’re at right now in the game,” Snitker said. “I don’t know that you’re going to see guys getting 300 innings in the minor leagues anymore before they get a chance in the major leagues. That’s a thing of the past. Ian Anderson, he keeps throwing good down there, we’ll probably get a crack at him before this whole thing is over.”
For the record, Anderson has logged 377-2/3 minor-league innings, including 135-2/3 last season across Double-A and Triple-A. Over those 26 starts, Anderson earned a 3.38 ERA, striking out 172 and walking 65. He held opponents to a .210 average.
Notes from Friday:
» Pache was set to make his debut Friday. He was first scheduled to start Wednesday, but the rainout and Thursday’s off-day delayed his highly anticipated arrival. Pache was slotted to man left field and hit ninth in the series opener against the Phillies.
» Outfielder Ronald Acuna and second baseman Ozzie Albies are progressing toward their returns. Acuna’s wrist is feeling better, Snitker said, and he’ll be re-evaluated Saturday. Acuna is expected to begin swinging Saturday as well.
Albies likewise is feeling better. He hit Friday after having the past three days off. The Braves haven’t put a timetable on either player’s return.
» The Braves optioned Kyle Wright to their alternate training site Thursday. He’ll stay on a five-day schedule there, Snitker said. The Braves can use a shortened rotation over the next week because of coming off-days, though they haven’t committed to that.
“We’ll re-evaluate it when we get through the off-days because they’re going to be gone here in a little bit, and we’re not going to have a lot in the month of September,” Snitker said. “We’re trying to keep everyone as regular as we can with (optioning Wright).”
Reliever Chris Martin was activated from the injured list, and catcher Alex Jackson was recalled to fill the team’s open roster spots.
