A bad break for “Touk” has created an opportunity for “Newk.”
That’s the upshot of the roster move announced by the Braves before Saturday night’s game at the Miami Marlins. Right-hander Touki Toussaint was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett, and left-hander Sean Newcomb was recalled from the same team.
Toussaint, 22, bailed out the Braves on Friday, pitching four innings of emergency relief, getting the win and allowing only one run while striking out six. He also inherited two runners in scoring position and didn’t allow either to cross the plate, saving the ERA of starter Kevin Gausman, who was ejected.
Still, because Toussaint threw 76 pitches in his appearance, he won’t be rested until at least three more days, and the Braves called on Newcomb to serve as their long man for now.
It wasn’t a demotion that Toussaint “deserved,” but it happened because he has minor-league options, giving the Braves roster flexibility.
Newcomb, who turns 26 next month, was demoted April 14 after a poor outing against the New York Mets. He was handed an early 4-0 lead that day, but couldn’t hold it and lasted only 1-1/3 innings, allowing five hits, two walks and four runs.
The Braves, however, were encouraged by Newcomb’s two most recent Triple-A starts, allowing no walks and just three runs in 13 innings, striking out 10.
“All the reports -- reading the lines and all the grades -- it was really good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Newcomb’s work at Gwinnett. “I laud him for what he did down there, getting going in the right direction. We’re going to need him this season.”
Newcomb’s demotion last month perhaps was the biggest adversity he faced since joining Atlanta. He had a breakthrough season last year, making 30 starts and going 12-9 with a 3.90 ERA. He seemed on track this year when he held the Marlins to two runs in seven innings April 7.
But then came his meltdown against the Mets and a one-way ticket to Gwinnett.
Overall this season in his three Braves starts, Newcomb has several stat lines that are on pace to be his career worsts: ERA (4.38), hits per nine innings (10.9), WHIP (1.865), walk rate (5.8) and strikeout rate (3.6).
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