The last time the Braves summoned Chasen Shreve to the major league club, their idea of acclimation was to wait a few hours after the arrived, throw him into a two-run game late in Philadelphia and let him have a go at Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. Nice debut.
Shreve struck out Howard swinging that July 19th, a pleasant recollection to file away as returned to Atlanta for his second stint with the Braves. The left-handed reliever was one of four September call-ups to arrive Monday, the first day when rosters could be expanded. Howard again was over in the Phillies dugout but Shreve sensed the difference.
“This time, I know what to expect,” he said.
Of the seven Braves to make their major league debut this summer, Shreve was one of two — Shae Simmons the other — to make the two-class jump up from Double-A Mississippi. His Atlanta stint was a split success. He allowed just one run in five appearances (1.80 ERA) and struck out seven in five innings. On the other hand, he allowed seven hits and a .300 opponents average.
Shreve was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett July 31, after the Braves acquired lefty James Russell from the Cubs in the Emilio Bonifacio trade.
But while his 13 days in July gave him a taste of major league expectations, it could not prepare him for parachuting into the ongoing playoff chase. He pitched well enough in Gwinnett, accumulating a 2-1 record (3.72 ERA) but gave up two runs in his last appearance on Saturday.
Now he joins Russell and Luis Avilan as manager Fredi Gonzalez’s lefty match-up pieces for the last four weeks, a far cry from Shreve’s time in Mississippi just a couple months ago.
“I’m just going to do what I can to help the team out,” he said.
