Banuelos, Cody Martin impress Braves manager in win

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – After watching some of the hardest-throwing relievers in camp issue multiple walks in tedious innings this week, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez relished seeing prospect Manny Banuelos and Cody Martin pitch the first five innings Thursday in a 6-3 win against the Marlins.

Banuelos started and gave up three hits, one run and no walks in two innings, and Martin allowed three hits and one walk in three innings to give him eight scoreless innings this spring. Neither has pitched in the majors, but Gonzalez said both are getting consideration for the opening-day roster.

“Martin continues to dazzle you and throw strikes, so that’s a good sign,” Gonzalez said of the right-hander, who has pitched in three spring-training games without allowing a run, including one start on short notice after Mike Minor was scratched with a sore shoulder.

He has allowed four hits, four walks and one hit batter with seven strikeouts in eight scoreless innings, and Martin has thrust his name into consideration for one of two available spots in the opening-day rotation or perhaps a role as a long reliever.

“He’s got to be in the mix,” Gonzalez said of Martin, 25, whom the Braves felt fortunate not to lose after he was left unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft. “He’s got to be in the mix on the staff someplace. We’re going to go sit down and talk about it. At this point, you get tired of watching guys throw it up to hit the bull. Throw the ball over the plate. He’s one of those guys who throws the ball over the plate and gets people out. He doesn’t throw 98 (mph), he throws 88, but he gets people out. And he mixes his pitches.”

Banuelos, who turned 24 last week, is a former Yankees prospect acquired in an offseason trade for relievers David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve. The left-hander missed the 2013 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and pitched only 76 2/3 innings in 25 starts last season as the Yankees took a conservative course in his rehab by limiting him to three or fewer innings in most of his starts.

“(The Marlins) scored a run on him and I don’t think any of the balls were hard-hit at all; none of the hits he gave up were,” Gonzalez said. “So that’s good. His velocity was up and his fastball was in the zone. It was nice to see that.”