LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Braves pitchers will face hitters in live batting practice Tuesday for the first time this spring, and manager Brian Snitker was asked about two left-handers who’ll get plenty of attention for different reasons: Paco Rodriguez and Sean Newcomb.
Rodriguez was a top-flighty situational lefty for the Dodgers before blowing out his elbow and having Tommy John in September 2015, two months after being traded to the Braves. With the likes of Bryce Harper in the National League East, the Braves need another lefty in the bullpen to go with Ian Krol, who wasn’t that effective against lefty hitters.
“He’s feeling good,” Snitker said of Rodriguez. “I watched his side (session) the other day. It’s maybe rusty more than anything, getting that torqued-up repetitions that he is (getting for the first time since surgery). But he looks fine, looks healthy to me. Just have to wait and see how it plays out.”
Newcomb, 23, is considered one of the Braves’ top three or four prospects and has top-of-the-rotation potential if he can keep improving his command and put it all together on a consistent basis. The hard-throwing, 6-foot-5 former first-round draft pick was a top-25 prospect in baseball a year ago before posting a 3.86 ERA in 27 starts at Double-A Mississippi, with 152 strikeouts and 71 walks in 140 innings.
The Braves got Newcomb as the key piece in the trade that sent Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Angels in November 2015.
“Just from what I’ve seen, he’s more at ease and has more confidence (this spring), just the whole thing,” Snitker said. “And I’ve always said, you trade for those guys and it takes them a while to become a part (of new organization). The guys that have had him really like him. From what I’ve seen, he does his job, he’s out there going about his business in a very professional manner. Love his arm. See him from the side work and love his arm.”
