SAN FRANCISCO — Braves manager Walt Weiss was hopeful earlier this week that setup man Robert Suarez wouldn’t have to go on the injured list. But as is so often the case, being more safe than sorry drove the decision to put Suarez on the 15-day IL, the club announced Friday.
Suarez complained of forearm tightness in his pitching arm last week and wasn’t available to throw against the Padres in San Diego. He last pitched June 19.
“The MRI was actually encouraging, no issues with the ligament, no structural changes, but did show inflammation,” Weiss said Friday at Oracle Park. “Just need to shut him down for a little bit. Obviously, he’s a very valuable piece, so we want to be cautious with him. The MRI was very, very good news.”
Suarez is the second of the Braves’ three-headed monster at the back of the bullpen to land on the IL this season. Closer Raisel Iglesias spent some time there at the end of April.
The absence of Suarez is notable for a Braves’ bullpen, which has had a very good season to this point. Left-hander Dylan Lee could fill Suarez’s role in the interim.
“We’ll see. Obviously, (Lee’s) been a late-inning guy. A lot of it’s going to come down to matchups,” Weiss said. “You may see (Lee) in the seventh. You’ve seen him in the sixth in the past. That may or may not happen moving forward without Suarez, but a lot of it just depends on matchup and who else is available that night. (Lee’s) role really won’t change, he’ll still be pitching in high-leverage late in the game.”
Suarez’s injury was just one half of the Braves’ big news Friday.
Hurston Waldrep also joined the team from Triple-A Gwinnett, and Weiss said the right-hander would be available to pitch out of the bullpen if needed Friday — and it’s very likely Waldrep will be needed. Reynaldo López was the team’s scheduled starter Friday but wasn’t expected to go more than a maximum of four innings, Weiss said.
Thus, someone in the Braves’ bullpen will have to eat some innings, lest the Braves not tax the entirety of their relief arms Friday.
“Someone will obviously come in behind (López). Not sure who that is — we’ll watch the game and go from there,” Weiss said. “But I’m looking forward to seeing (Waldrep). He’s had a long road back, and he’s a talented kid.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
