Monday was supposed to be a typical day for Braves pitcher Mauricio Cabrera.
The 22-year-old reliever was going to grab his coffee and sit down to a hearty serving of scrambled eggs inside his apartment in Mississippi.
Those plans dissipated quickly after the Braves called him up from Double-A. He was in on the next flight to Atlanta to make his Major League debut as the team’s newest member.
“It was pretty surreal to get that phone call in the morning,” Cabrera said through an interpreter on Monday. “I am very excited and very grateful to be here with the team right now.”
The Braves created a roster spot after designating pitcher Alexi Ogando for assignment. Ogando was 2-1 with a 3.94 ERA in his brief stint with the team.
Cabrera is now the 14th rookie to wear a Braves jersey this season. He will wear No. 62 as the Braves take on the Cleveland Indians in a three-game series.
His minor league success impressed Braves interim manager Brian Snitker. He was excited with his skill set and wanted to see it firsthand.
“I’m anxious to see him,” Snitker said. “The reports are good and he has been throwing alright. It is a good opportunity for him and he one of our young guys. We are going to take a look at him.”
At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, Cabrera has legitimate size. In 25 games at Mississippi, he was 3-3 with a 3.21 ERA. He registered 35 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings pitched. Most of that success came from an electric fastball that can reach upwards of 100 mph.
“The reports I seen where anywhere from 99-101 (mph) consistently,” Snitker said.
Cabrera’s power arm could help him in the Braves bullpen. However, he knows that he needs better control. It was the one area he worked on constantly in Double-A.
“I wanted to make sure that I kept the ball low in the strike zone,” Cabrera said. “It’s overall control and that has been the difference maker and what I have been trying to focus on. If anything, that is what has helped me get to where I am so far.”
Snitker plans on giving Cabrera every opportunity to prove himself. He thinks his command might work in the majors.
“It’s been better and you never know how something like that can play here,” he said. “I hope it does and I am anxious to see what he got.”
