When right-hander Trevor Cahill takes the mound for his Braves debut on Tuesday it will have been two weeks since he faced big-league hitters in a game.
That’s why the 25-pitch live batting practice session he threw on Saturday may have been more beneficial than usual. Plus Cahill said his pitching style means he doesn’t need a lot of work to get ready for a start.
“I’m a guy who tries to relax out there,” he said. “I’m not going to go out there pumped up and blow by guys with (fastballs). I change speeds and sink it and stuff. I think if I can maintain that same mental approach I had in the ‘BP’ that will transition over. Just keep my adrenalin down.”
The Braves acquired Cahill in a trade with the Diamondbacks on April 2, two days after he’d made his final start in spring training. The Braves didn’t need a fifth starter in the first week of the regular season because they had an off day and Cahill didn’t make any appearances out of the bullpen.
Cahill was 3-12 with a 5.61 ERA in 32 games (17 starts) for the Diamondbacks in 2014. He was an All-Star with Oakland in 2010 and had two pretty good seasons with Arizona until last year’s struggles.
The Braves liked what they saw of Cahill during spring training and traded for him to be their No. 5 starter. The Braves hope Cahill will benefit from working with pitching coach Roger McDowell, his new delivery and playing his home games in a more pitcher-friendly park.
