SAN FRANCISCO – What Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Tuesday about using a six-man rotation this week? Nevermind
Gonzalez announced Wednesday that, after talking with pitching coach Roger McDowell, they’ve decided to keep left-hander Alex Wood in the bullpen for now and stick with a conventional five-man rotation.
The reasoning was two-fold, Gonzalez said: The Braves, including some pitchers involved, weren’t comfortable with the extra rest that would result from using a six-man rotation; and with setup man Jordan Walden on the disabled list with a hamstring strain, Wood’s power arm is needed there for now.
Instead of having Wood start Saturday at St. Louis – it would’ve been his first start since May 4 — the Braves will shift Aaron Harang’s scheduled start at St. Louis from Sunday’s series finale to Saturday, and bump Gavin Floyd from Monday to Sunday.
Harang and Floyd each will still be pitching on an extra day of rest because of Thursday’s off day in the schedule.
“I wasn’t too keen on (using a six-man rotation),” Gonzalez said, “and the more you talk to Floyd, and the more you talk to Roger and talk about what’s best for everybody…. If you start looking at days off there’s some guys that would be going on (two extra days of rest), and that doesn’t do any good.”
He added that the six-man rotation “is good the first time around, because we’ve got all those games in a row and some of the guys, like Gavin, could use an extra day of rest. But as you go forward it doesn’t feel right. And also, I think it weakens (the bullpen).”
Braves starters led the majors with a 2.53 ERA and 30 quality starts in 37 games before Wednesday’s series finale at San Francisco. Wood was 2-5 with a 3.00 ERA in seven starts, an ERA that ranked sixth among seven Braves who’ve started this season.
Wood, 23, has had more recent bullpen experience and more bullpen success than any of the five pitchers who remain in the rotation – Julio Teheran, Ervin Santana, Mike Minor, Harang and Floyd. Wood has allowed no runs in two relief appearances this season and has a 1.90 ERA in 22 relief appearances during two seasons in the majors. He’s 5-7 with a 3.30 ERA in 18 career starts.
The Braves project Wood as a long-term starter and expect to have him back in the rotation this season, perhaps sooner than later. He will be their first option to plug in the rotation if anything happens to another starter.
“Something will happen, someone will have a fingernail or a toenail or something,” Gonzalez said. “We’ll get Woody back in there.”
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