WASHINGTON – Two days and 60 pitches after arriving from Triple-A Gwinnett, journeyman reliever Pedro Beato was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a strained elbow and flamethrower Juan Jaime was called from Gwinnett to replace him.
Jaime, 26, has a fastball that’s been clocked at 100 mph or higher. He had a 2.39 ERA, 13 saves and a .161 opponents’ average in 27 appearances at Gwinnett, allowing just 15 hits while collecting 40 strikeouts with 20 walks in 26 1/3 innings.
The stocky Dominican allowed three hits and four walks with 14 strikeouts in nine innings over his past nine appearances before he was called to the big leagues. Now he’ll get a chance to make his major league debut against the Nationals, the team that signed him 10 years ago and waived him six years later.
“We wanted some quality,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Almost the same situation as (Shae) Simmons when he came up. Bring some quality guys up here and get some people out. So we’ll throw him in there.”
Jaime walked into the visitor’s clubhouse at Nationals Park just before 5 p.m. Thursday, looking dapper in a dark suit and feeling good.
“Very good,” he said, smiling.
The Nationals had Jaime in their minor league system for six years until he was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks in November 2010.
He missed two seasons (2010-2011) recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery and spent the next two in the Braves’ organization in high-A and Double-A before being added to the 40-man roster and coming to major league spring training.
“I talked to Snit (Gwinnett manager Brian Snitker) about him last night and again this morning,” Gonzalez said. “He’s got a good arm. He’s been really good for them. Throws strikes, power arm.”
Actually, command has always been the thing that’s prevented Jaime from reaching the major leagues — he had 143 walks to go with 303 strikeouts in 219 1/3 innings during seven minor league seasons before this year.
But he’s cut down the walks in the past couple of weeks, and when he’s not walking guys he can be overwhelming.
Right-handed batters were just 6-for-51 (.118) with nine walks and 27 strikeouts against him in Triple-A, while left-handers hit .214 (9-for-41) with 11 walks and 13 strikeouts.
Beato arrived from Gwinnett on Tuesday and pitched in losses to the Phillies Tuesday and Wednesday. He worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings with three walks, two strikeouts and one hit allowed in 47 pitches Tuesday, then gave up one hit and had one strikeout in a scoreless inning Wednesday.
Gonzalez said he had a sore elbow and got an X-ray at Turner Field that came back negative, showing no damage. Beato was called up after the Braves put reliever David Carpenter on the 15-day DL with a right biceps strain.
