LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – It seemed fairly certain that Jhoulys Chacin would make the Braves’ starting rotation, and his performance Friday in his last spring-training start strengthened that belief and pushed him a step closer to being able to put behind him the past two injury-plagued seasons.
Chacin retired 11 of the first 12 batters and was impressive into the fifth inning of a 2-2 tie against the Tampa Bay Rays, the sixth tie for a Braves team that has 20 losses and as many ties (six) as wins.
After giving up 10 hits in five innings of his previous start, Chacin limited the Rays to three hits, one run and three walks with three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to a solid 3.00 in six games (five starts).
“I felt good today,” said Chacin, 28, a former Rockies standout who was slowed by shoulder problems for two seasons and signed a minor-league deal. “My ball moved well and I located my fastball better today. I did the best I could to come to spring training and try to get a spot in the rotation. I don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
He walked Logan Forsythe to start the game, then retired the next 11 batters before Curt Casali’s two-out walk in the fourth inning.
Chacin has allowed 28 hits and eight walks with 16 strikeouts in 21 innings. That’s a lot of hits, but Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said several hits against Chacin in his previous start against the Nationals at wind-swept Viera, Fla., would’ve been been caught by outfielders on a less blustery day.
It appears Chacin is in line for the No. 4 starter’s job behind Julio Teheran, Bud Norris and Matt Wisler. Gonzalez wasn’t ready to announce his Nos. 4-5 starters before he and Braves coaches and front-office officials met later Friday to discuss the final spots on the 25-man roster.
He did say, however, that Chacin didn’t have to pass any further tests in his opinion.
“But we’ll talk about it,” Gonzalez said. “He’s pitched good enough to warrant a really, really good conversation. This guy’s a veteran guy, he’s pitched well. Let’s say you run into some trouble with your staff, you feel comfortable he can go out there and wear it (stay in a lopsided game) for six innings, you know? Throw him 125 pitches.”
Chacin went 14-10 with a 3.47 ERA in 31 starts and 197 1/3 innings for the Rockies in 2013, including a 2.44 ERA in 13 road starts.
He went 3-8 with a 4.80 ERA in just 90 innings over the two seasons since then, slowed by recurring shoulder problems that didn’t subside until after the 2015 season. He parlayed a strong showing in the Venezuelan winter league into a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training, and now it appears he’ll have a spot in the opening-day rotation.
“I’m really happy that I can pitch every five days, that it’s normal again,” Chacin said of his shoulder. “Throw bullpens, play catch and everything normal. And I think my velocity is getting better, little by little. I don’t want to rush, just want to keep doing what I’ve been doing, and try to see if I can get a couple more miles (per hour) on my fastball.
“And just try to do like I said, always try to go down and locate my fastball, my sinker, and get a groundball. I’ve always been a contact pitcher, try to get a groundball. That way I can throw more innings.”
Like many veteran non-roster invitees, Chacin has an opt-out clause in his contract that allowed him to become a free agent if he’s not on the major league roster. But his opt-out isn’t until June, unlike many pitchers who have opt-outs just before opening day.
