Touki Toussaint, a right-handed pitcher acquired last summer from the Arizona Diamondbacks, in a trade widely regarded as a huge victory for the Braves, has not one, not two, but three poor outings this season for Single-A Rome.
Toussaint has made three starts and has an ERA of 12.66.
He has pitched 10 2/3 innings, allowed 16 runs on 19 hits. He has walked nine (none were intentional passes) and struck out five.
In each start, his runs allowed have increased, going from three to five to eight. In his second start he was pulled in the second inning.
Opponents are hitting .388 against him.
A first-round draft choice by the Diamondbacks in 2014, Toussaint doesn’t turn 20 until June. Despite his skill set and the high expectations, he was struggling to find his way in pro ball entering this season.
He was 7-11 with a 5.73 ERA in 28 games (27 starts) through last season. He had allowed 15 home runs in 116 2/3 innings and had issued 66 walks against 99 strikeouts.
He’s still young, and the Braves have several pitching prospects meeting or exceeding expectations, so Toussaint has plenty of time to grow.
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