John Gant will make the first start of his major league career when the Braves rookie faces the Chicago Cubs in Sunday’s series finale at Turner Field.
Gant, 23, has been recalled four times this season — twice on last week’s trip alone — and posted a 6.17 ERA in seven relief appearances during four stints in the majors.
“That’s what we’re looking at now,” Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said before Saturday’s game. “That will just give the other two guys an extra day, which I think is a good idea.”
The Braves had planned to start rookie Aaron Blair on Sunday and Julio Teheran on Monday, and to name a replacement starter for Tuesday, the first day they would’ve needed a fill-in after Williams Perez went on the disabled list last week.
But instead of waiting to start Gant on Tuesday, they’ll give Blair and Teheran an extra rest day apiece by moving each back a day and going with Gant on Sunday. The Braves play a four-game home series against the Reds on Monday through Thursday.
Acquired from the Mets as part of a July 2015 trade for Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, Gant impressed Braves officials this spring and briefly was considered for the opening-day rotation. He’s 3-0 with a 3.56 ERA in eight games (seven starts) at Triple-A Gwinnett, with 48 strikeouts and 13 walks in 43 innings.
The Cubs had five left-handed hitters and two switch-hitters in their lineup Saturday to face Braves right-hander Matt Wisler, and they’ll probably have at least that many lefty bats in the lineup against Gant, who has allowed .435 average (10-for-23) by lefties with four extra-base hits and a 1.219 OPS.
Right-handed hitters are 5-for-23 (.217) against him with a .789 OPS. Overall, Gant has allowed a .326 average (15-for-46 (.326) against major league hitters with three doubles, two triples, two homers, five walks, 14 strikeouts, a .389 OBP, and .609 slugging percentage.
