Arodys Vizcaino was not available to the Braves out of the bullpen for Friday night’s game against the Phillies.
After pitching a perfect eighth inning in a key win Thursday night, the goal is to get the closer to pitch back-to-back days before the end of the final homestand of the regular season and, hopefully, for the postseason.
Vizcaino returned from the 10-day disabled list on Sept. 14 after missing 55 games with right shoulder inflammation. He made two appearances, with the Braves trailing, before he pitched Thursday with a lead.
“I checked with him today and it’s a good sore type of thing,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said before Friday’s game. “He feels good. That was very encouraging. … Stay away from Viz today. See how he feels tomorrow. If he feels good tomorrow, we’ll put him in the mix.”
Snitker said the Braves need to see Vizcaino pitch on consecutive games to feel comfortable with his return moving forward.
“It may not even be a full inning back-to-back,” Snitker said. “Just get him to pitch competitively against some hitters in a game. We definitely want to see that before the end of the week.”
After the Braves conclude the final homestand of the regular season this weekend, they finish the year with a six-game road trip at the Mets and Phillies. With the magic number to clinch the National League East at four, the Braves may be getting a fully healthy reliever back in time for the postseason.
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