Left-hander Garcia takes first step toward being ready for season

TAMPA, FLA. — Jaime Garcia has made 158 big-league starts over eight seasons while posting a 3.57 ERA. There’s no mystery about the left-hander’s ability to be an effective major league pitcher, so spring training for Garcia is about getting ready.

On Wednesday night in his first spring start with the Braves, Garcia gave up a solo homer, a single and a walk over two innings against the Yankees. Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, the second batter Garcia faced, turned on his 3-1 pitch and sent it deep into the rightfield stands, and Sterling Castro followed with a single before Garcia retired the next two hitters to end the inning.

The Braves acquired Garcia in a December trade with the Cardinals. He was the last of three veterans they added after last season in an effort to stabilize their rotation.

Garcia figures to help with that goal if he can stay healthy. Injuries have hampered him during his career, but the Braves hope his 30 starts last season, the most since 2011, are a sign he can be a reliable part of their rotation.

Garcia, 30, will fill a unique niche in the Braves’ eclectic rotation — and not only because he’s the only lefty.

Right-hander Julio Teheran, 26, is a two-time All-Star and the established ace. Bartolo Colon, 43, is steady and reliable. R.A. Dickey, 42, is a knuckleball pitcher. The fifth spot likely will go to an unproven young pitcher.

That leaves Garcia in the middle. He’s older than Teheran and younger than the two long-time veterans. He had a strong season with the Cardinals in 2015 with a 2.43 ERA but was limited to 129⅔ innings in 20 starts.

Garcia, 30, was very good through his first 11 starts of 2016, with a 3.48 ERA, .260 opponents’ batting average and .300 on-base percentage allowed. But over his next 18 starts he had a 5.40 ERA, .296 opponents’ batting average and .353 OBP allowed.

The Braves gave up righthander John Gant and a pair of prospects for Garcia. He’s set to make $12 million in the final year of his contract.