Braves pitcher Paul Maholm is going on the disabled list with a sprained wrist and rookie Alex Wood is coming back to the majors to take his spot in the starting rotation Thursday.
Wood, 22, will make his second major league start in a series finale against the Mets, the same team he faced in the first game of a June 18 doubleheader in Atlanta. That was a spot start in which the former University of Georgia left-hander gave up two hits, one run and three walks in three innings, with five strikeouts.
The other option to replace Maholm was Brandon Beachy, but manager Fredi Gonzalez said the Braves want Beachy to get another minor-league rehab start as he completes his recovery from Tommy John elbow surgery. He’s 13 months into rehab, which was halted for two weeks in June when Beachy developed inflammation in the elbow.
Gonzalez said the Braves haven’t decided who’ll make the second and third rotation turns that Maholm will miss before he’s eligible to return from the DL. He said the Braves would like to get five or six innings out of Wood on Thursday.
“It’s his second start in the big leagues; I think he’ll be more comfortable,” Gonzalez said. “That first start, he had (73) pitches. I think this one will be a more comfortable start. And I don’t know how many Georgia Bulldog fans are here in New York, so maybe that will calm him down a little. They all came out to watch him start that day.”
Wood was a dominant starter at Double-A Mississippi before getting called up to help out Atlanta’s bullpen. In 10 starts at Mississippi, he had a 1.26 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 14 walks in 57 innings.
He had a 2.37 ERA in 15 relief appearances for the Braves, with 21 strikeouts and five walks in 19 innings, then was sent to Triple-A on July 13 to pitch more innings and get “stretched out” to be a starter again, if needed.
Wood won his first Triple-A start Thursday, working five innings and allowing three hits, one run, two walks and two hit batters, with five strikeouts. He threw 46 strikes in 71 pitches.
Maholm flew back to Atlanta on Sunday and had an MRI Monday on his left wrist. It showed no fracture, but the lefty had some swelling. He will be DL’d on Thursday, retroactive to Sunday, the day after he blew a 4-0 lead against the White Sox and gave up seven runs and seven hits in three-plus innings.
If the Braves need to make a roster move Tuesday or Wednesday, they will DL Maholm sooner and make a roster move, then make another when Wood is brought up Thursday.
After going 6-4 with a 3.38 ERA in his first 10 starts this season, Maholm is 3-5 with a 5.53 ERA in his past 10, including 0-3 with a 10.13 ERA in three July starts.
He hurt the wrist batting during his July 10 start at Miami, and said it didn’t flare up again until he was warming up before the fourth inning Saturday.
Heyward in center field: Eleven days and six games since straining his right hamstring, Jason Heyward returned to the Braves lineup Monday, in his temporary role as one of the largest center fielders you'll ever see.
Gonzalez plans to use Heyward in center field in most games until B.J. Upton returns from the DL. Upton, recovering from a strained adductor muscle in the groin area, is eligible to return this weekend but won’t be ready for another week or so.
Monday was Heyward’s third start of the season in center and the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder told Gonzalez he’s got no problem shifting from his usual right field until Upton returns.
Gonzalez is playing Heyward in center because by doing so, he can keep Evan Gattis’ bat in the lineup in left field. Justin Upton moved from left field to right.
If Heyward gets worn out playing center, Gonzalez said he’ll rest him and play Reed Johnson or Jose Constanza.
“I run a lot during the game anyway. I’m always moving,” Heyward said. “Just a little more ground to cover each way. But it’s all about positioning and knowing the hitters and how we’re going to pitch them, things like that.”
Upton ran some in the grass at Citi Field on Monday, the first running he's done since he strained the muscle July 12 when his knee stuck in the ground at Turner Field as he attempted to make a diving catch. Once he's cleared for all baseball activities, Upton will likely need a few days of workouts followed by a minor league rehab assignment.
It took Heyward a little longer than expected to return to the lineup after the hamstring injury, but he said he was glad he didn’t rush his return. He said was confident the leg was healed sufficiently, but he’d try to make sure not to overdo it.
“Got to be smart about it, because it’s so close to it happening, the first game back,” he said. “Got to be smart about it, know when to push and not to push. But defensive-wise, I’m not concerned at all.”
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