Wandy Rodriguez will start get the start for the Braves in their Grapefruit League opener Wednesday against the Mets, with projected opening-day starter Julio Teheran getting the nod in Thursday’s road game against the Tigers.
Rodriguez, a veteran left-hander who is considered one of the leading candidates for the fifth-starter opening, is set to go two innings and be followed by another non-roster invitee, Chien-Ming Wang. The Braves open the spring-training schedule at Champion Stadium in ESPN Wide World of Sports, then face the Tigers in Lakeland on Thursday.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he would try to keep starting pitchers on an every-five-days schedule at least the first couple of times through the rotation. He hasn’t announced relievers for the first two games or the planned starters beyond Thursday.
Wang isn’t considered a major candidate for the fifth-starter job, but the Braves want to keep him and other starters on a starter’s schedule early, to make sure they have depth in case there’s a flurry of health issues like they had a year ago during spring training.
Rodriguez’s chief competition for No. 5 starter is expected to come from another veteran lefty, Eric Stults, who is scheduled to “piggyback” with Teheran on Thursday, with each of them pitching two innings. The other top candidates for the fifth-starter job are a pair of prospects, Manny Banuelos and Mike Foltynewicz, either of whom could also begin the season in the bullpen.
Braves starters usually pitch two innings in their first outing of spring, then add an inning in each of their next several starts. The first four in the Braves’ rotation is set with Teheran and, in no specific order as of yet, Shelby Miller and lefties Alex Wood and Mike Minor.
