Braves
Manager Fredi Gonzalez is looking to give his pitchers some time off.
“I think at this time of the year, as much as you would like to tinker with it a little bit, you’ve got some guys like Julio [Teheran] who are over 200 [innings],” Gonzalez said. “He’s got three or four more starts. So he gets into the 220s. That’s a lot.”
Teheran, who has already completed a career-high 201 innings, is scheduled to make three more regular-season starts. Given that he completed 185 2/3 innings during his 2013 rookie season, the 23-year-old right-hander has made the progression the Braves had envisioned, from an innings standpoint, this season. Though 15 of the 17 runs he has allowed over his past six starts have scored in the fifth inning or later, Teheran said he is not feeling fatigued. He believes he needs to focus more on being less predictable with pitch selection.
Marlins
Miami’s push for a playoff spot got a boost with the return of All-Star right-hander Henderson Alvarez, who experienced no problems during a final light throwing session Tuesday and was scheduled to start the opener of a three-game series at Philadelphia on Friday night.
Alvarez, 10-6 with a 2.88 ERA this season, left his Sept. 1 start against the Mets with a strained oblique muscle and was expected to be sidelined longer, but now it appears he will miss just one start.
Mets
David Wright was scratched from the lineup because of increased soreness in his troublesome left shoulder. The third baseman was examined by a doctor Tuesday instead of facing the Colorado Rockies. The Mets did get back second baseman Daniel Murphy, who had been out since Aug. 24 with a right calf strain. Wright has had trouble with the shoulder since mid-June and his production has been down this season. He is hitting .269 with eight homers — none after July 11 — and 63 RBIs.
Nationals
Washington announced the signing of a two-year player development contract extension with Class A Advanced Potomac. Potomac is 625-553 (.531) since aligning with the Nationals and won two Mills Cup titles in 2008 and 2010. Many players on the Nationals’ current roster played for Potomac over the years, including Ian Desmond, Anthony Rendon and Jordan Zimmermann.
Phillies
Jake Diekman and Ken Giles will have a reduced workload out of the bullpen over the final weeks of the season, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. Diekman, 27, has pitched a career-high 65 innings this season. Giles, 23, has tossed 67 innings combined between the majors and minors. It’s also an opportunity for the Phillies to evaluate other young relievers in the bullpen, including Luis Garcia and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez.
Compiled by Rachel Lister from wire reports.
