The question on Twitter with Peter Moylan returning from the disabled list on Sunday was what to call the backbone of the Braves bullpen now? MoylO'Ventbrel? Peter O'Ventrbrel?
Moylan, for one, wasn't prepared to lump himself in with Eric O'Flaherty, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel. He just wants to start contributing after missing four months because of a herniated disc.
“I’m not part of that yet; let’s not jump the gun,” said Moylan, who had surgery May 17. “Those guys have been outstanding all year. I’ve just got to come in there and try to fit in any way I can.”
Moylan was activated Sunday after completing a six-game, minor league rehabilitation with Triple-A Gwinnett over the past two weeks. He gave up one unearned run in six innings, allowed five hits, four walks and struck out 10. He said his back was never an issue.
“I felt like I was good from the first time out physically; it was just a matter of honing some things, runners on base, slide steps,” said Moylan, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since April 14 against the Marlins. "My back has been fantastic. My velocity has been good. The adrenaline flow that you get in a Triple-A game is a little different to what you get in a big league game. It’s just a matter of going out and doing it up here.”
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez didn't plan to use Moylan until the Braves opened their series with the Phillies on Monday night. Ideally Gonzalez wants to ease him back into action, though that might not be possible against the Phillies.
“You try to pick a nice spot for him,” Gonzalez said.
Braves add more speed
The Braves can't get enough of a good thing, apparently. After seeing what Jose Constanza and Michael Bourn have done for them the past month, they dipped into the minor leagues for more speed. The Braves called up outfielder Antoan Richardson from Double-A Mississippi and added him to their five other September call-ups.
Richardson, 27, was hitting .283 in 91 games for Mississippi, with 17 stolen bases in 22 attempts and 64 runs scored. He’s also 5-foot-8, about Constanza’s height, and some teammates referred to them as brothers when both were in the Braves' camp this past spring.
The Braves will use Richardson primarily to pinch run.
On Saturday night, Richardson was eating with teammates at a Raleigh, N.C., pizza place when his manager Rocket Wheeler called and told him he had a 6 a.m. flight to Atlanta to join Triple-A Gwinnett. Wheeler next told him that he needed to take a taxi to Turner Field instead.
“That’s what you’re working for,” said Richardson, who signed with the Braves as a six-year, minor league free agent last year in January.
He's a native of the Bahamas and a Vanderbilt graduate. He was college teammates with Rays starter David Price, who texted Richardson Sunday morning to congratulate him.
Richardson made the most of a pinch-hit at-bat Sunday, singling over the second baseman’s head for his first major league hit.
The Braves made room for him in the 40-man roster by transferring Nate McLouth to the 60-day disabled list. McLouth underwent sports hernia surgery on Aug. 4 and has shas not resumed baseball activities.
Wilson gets first start
Talk about a tough first assignment. Jack Wilson made his first Braves start at third base, a position he had played just once previously, on Sunday against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.
Wilson made a great smothering play on his first chance, played a smooth game defensively and singled off Kershaw in the seventh to key the three-run rally.
“Just making sure I’m in the right spots and before the pitch is made," said Wilson, who has played 1,232 games at shortstop, 45 at second and now two at third. "It ended up working out today. I was happy to be out there. We were 0-2 since I got here, so I was getting a little nervous.”
