With the trade deadline just days away and the viable options to add a top-of-the-rotation starter limited, the Braves know it’s a luxury to be able to insert Brandon Beachy into the rotation Monday night against the Rockies.
Beachy is set to make his long-awaited return to the mound after more than 13 months out following Tommy John surgery. He will pitch in place of Tim Hudson, who underwent season-ending ankle injury on Friday and was just released from the hospital on Sunday.
“It’s almost like a trade,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Like a big piece on the trade deadline, a guy that before he got hurt, he was one of the dominant pitchers in the National League. I don’t think he’s going to pitch to that level first time out, but I think he’ll be close.”
Beachy was leading the National League with a 2.00 ERA on June 16, 2012, when he tore his ulnar collateral ligament pitching against the Orioles. He was just hitting his stride in his second full major league season. Now Beachy returns to join a stretch run he missed last season.
“I’m excited,” Beachy said. “I’m ready. Been waiting a long time for this.”
The Braves originally hoped to have Beachy back for a June 18 doubleheader against the Mets but he suffered a setback with elbow inflammation just prior to returning. Beachy said he hasn’t had any problems since, after 10 days of rest and then throwing four more starts on a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
Beachy might have made one more rehab start if Hudson hadn’t broken his ankle Wednesday night in New York. But both he and the Braves are comfortable that he’s ready. That’s something Beachy said he could feel over the final start or two.
“Obviously it’s going to be a little faster here than it was in Triple-A,” Beachy said. “But there was definitely a moment where things kind of started slowing down and I felt in control no matter what the count, what the situation.”
Gonzalez said he’d likely cap Beachy at around 100 pitches, treating it like his first start coming out of spring training. Beachy got up to about 95 pitches in his final rehab outing, including some post-game bullpen work.
For Beachy, Monday might feel a little like making his major league debut all over again. Only this time he’s actually had a lot more anticipation. Beachy broke into the majors on Sept. 20, 2010, in Philadelphia, not knowing if he was even going to be needed until Jair Jurrjens tested out his knee prior to the game.
“It’ll probably be more typical of other people’s debuts this time around in the sense that I know it’s coming and I’ve got time to prepare for it,” Beachy said. “You know the story of the last one. Kind of happened so fast, it didn’t really sink in to me. Hopefully I’ll be able to sleep tonight, control my emotions tomorrow.”
Kimbrel's company: With every benchmark he reaches, closer Craig Kimbrel usually simply credits his teammates for putting him in position to convert saves. He did the same Sunday, the day after becoming only the second Brave in franchise history to reach 30 or more saves in three seasons.
“It means we’re playing a lot of close games and we’re winning a lot of close games,” Kimbrel said.
But with each milestone, it’s becoming clearer how elite a closer Kimbrel is. The company he keeps now, with three seasons with 30 or more saves among Braves? He joins John Smoltz, who had 55, 45 and 44 saves in 2002-2004. Kimbrel was in high school then in Huntsville, Ala. watching as a fan.
“How many closers throw five pitches?” Kimbrel said. “It was almost unfair for him to be closing.”
In his three seasons as Braves closer, Kimbrel has 46, 42 and now 30 saves. He was a little unfair himself last year, striking out a record 16.7 batters per nine innings and holding opponents to a .126 batting average, the lowest since 1900.
The numbers haven’t been as eye-popping this year, but Kimbrel said converting saves has always been his primary objective. And that, with the exception of three blown saves over five chances earlier this spring, is what he’s done.
“There’s always a point during the year that you feel like you’re not at your best and you have to get over that hump and get past it,” Kimbrel said. “Since then I feel like I’ve been able to move on and just take each outing at a time and that’s really all you can do.”
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