Are you ready for the return of Bartolo Colon? Because it’s near.
Braves manager Brian Snitker confirmed again Monday that all systems are go for Colon to come off the 10-day disabled list Wednesday and start that night against the San Francisco Giants at SunTrust Park.
The 44-year-old pitcher was 2-7 with a 7.78 ERA when the Braves put him on the DL June 6 with what they said was a strained oblique muscle in his left side. The DL move came a day after he gave up eight runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Phillies, the latest in a string of disappointing starts for the former Cy Young Award winner.
Colon has a 10.03 ERA and .380 opponents’ average in his past eight starts, allowing 39 earned runs and 63 hits (eight homers) in 35 innings in that career-worst stretch, in addition to nine unearned runs. He has been working with pitching coach Chuck Hernandez on some minor adjustments in his delivery since going on the DL.
“He threw a side (session) today,” Snitker said. “Chuck likes what he’s seeing. We’ll just go with him as far as we can Wednesday. A guy like that, he could probably go out the first day of spring training and throw seven innings, really. We’ll just use common sense, see where we’re at in the game. Obviously he’s not been out there in a while, so he’s not going to pitch seven innings, more than likely.”
Snitker said the Braves will go with a six-man rotation, at least for week or two, in order to keep getting a look at promising rookie Sean Newcomb, who has a 2.19 ERA and .200 opponents’ average in his first two starts
Colon has a $12.5 million salary, and so far the Braves haven’t shown a willingness to eat that money and release him. They’ll see if Colon can get straightened out, but if he struggles to the degree that he has recently it would be surprising if he makes more than two or three more starts.
If Colon does return to a suitable level of performance, the Braves would have enough starting depth to entertain trade offers for left-hander Jaime Garcia before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Garcia has been their best and most consistent pitch and is eligible for free agency after the season.
