On tap
Braves right-hander Trevor Cahill is set to make his first start Tuesday after he was skipped in the rotation with an off day Thursday. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Cahill may throw a simulated game over the weekend to get ready.
Cahill has been available out of the bullpen, but has yet to make an appearance. Lefty Andrew McKirahan was the only other Braves pitcher not to make an appearance over the first three games, as Gonzalez tries to ease his starters into the regular season.
“First couple starts we will not push the pitch count until they get their feet wet,” Gonzalez said.
In the minors
Braves prospect Mike Foltynewicz couldn’t make the big-league roster in spring camp because of a handful of rough outings, but he was strong in his first start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.
Foltynewicz struck out seven batters and walked two while allowing one run over four innings. He gave up a home run in the second inning, but Gonzalez said reports indicated Foltynewicz otherwise kept the ball down in the strike zone.
The Braves acquired Foltynewicz, 23, from the Astros in January as part of the Evan Gattis trade. The power-armed right-hander is a top prospect, but was optioned to Gwinnett on Saturday after he had a 5.84 ERA in 12 1/3 innings during Grapefruit League play.
Braves flashback
Former Braves star Chipper Jones was back in the team’s dugout before the game Friday and chatted with Gonzalez and reporters. He recounted the team’s three-game sweep of the Marlins earlier in the week with Gonzalez and revealed that he still gets nervous watching his old team play.
Jones said he changed the television channel on opening day when Braves ace Julio Teheran gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs in the sixth inning. He said he turned back in a bit later, after relievers Luis Avilan and Jim Johnson got the Braves out of the inning with no runs allowed and a 2-1 lead.
“I had to thumb through Twitter to find out what happened,” Jones said.
At the ballpark
The blog SB Nation compiled a list of ballpark food, but refined cuisine wasn’t the topic as with many such lists. Instead, the site highlighted “11 outrageous ballpark foods that might kill you this season,” and Turner Field’s Dixie Dog made the list.
Said SB Nation: “A footlong all-beef hot dog flash-fried, topped with a mustard-based barbecue sauce, pulled pork, coleslaw, and pickles. Lose the hot dog, and you’re onto something.”
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