The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pitchers will get lots of work
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — The Braves will start Matt Wisler, Sean Newcomb and newcomer Scott Kazmir in the first three Grapefruit League games Friday through Sunday, though manager Brian Snitker indicated that not too much should be made of those assignments.
He plans to use the starters in only one inning apiece in those games and said eight or nine pitchers likely would pitch in at least the first couple of games.
Wisler will start against the Mets in a Grapefruit League opener Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Newcomb faces the defending World Series champion Astros on Saturday in West Palm Beach, and Kazmir starts Sunday against the Nationals in West Palm Beach.
Julio Teheran, Mike Foltynewicz and newcomer Brandon McCarthy are penciled in for three spots in the Braves’ starting rotation entering spring training, with young left-handers Newcomb, Luiz Gohara and Max Fried leading the group of candidates for the final two sports. Veteran Kazmir also will compete for a spot if he’s healthy after missing all of 2017 with the Dodgers because of injuries. Gohara is believed to have one of those final two spots to lose and probably would have to struggle mightily this spring to not be in the opening-day rotation.
Snitker is not making any of his veteran players take the long bus ride to Port St. Lucie or West Palm Beach, nor will pitchers Teheran, Foltynewicz or McCarthy. Most Braves veteran position players will make their spring debuts Monday in the home Grapefruit League opener against the Nationals at Champion Stadium in Lake Buena Vista.
Fans in Port St. Lucie will have a chance to see some of the Braves’ top prospects, including two potential power hitters for the nottoo-distant future. Third baseman Austin Riley and catcher Alex Jackson, two of three prospects that the Braves believe could supply big power in the coming years, will make the trip. Outfielder Ronald Acuna, the other of that power-hitting trio and the No. 1 prospect in baseball, isn’t scheduled to make the trip.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies, shortstop Dansby Swanson and third basemen Johan Camargo and Rio Ruiz are on the travel roster for Friday’s game, with Ruiz scheduled to play first base. Outfielder Lane Adams and outfield prospects Cristian Pache and Dustin Peterson also are set to make the opening trip.
Cabrera sent to Triple-A: Mauricio Cabrera cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett, two days after the Braves designated the hard-throwing reliever for assignment.
It would have been unimaginable for the righthander flamethrower to have cleared waivers a year ago at this time, after Cabrera routinely reached 100 mph and higher with his fastball in 41 appearances for the Braves as a rookie in 2016. But his control, a concern even when he was effective in 2016, went completely awry in 2017, when Cabrera posted a 7.12 ERA in 40 appearances at three minor league levels and had more walks (45) than strikeouts (38).
He’ll stay in major league spring training despite being outrighted from the 40-man roster. “The kid’s got some work to do,” Snitker said. “He kind of got off the rails last year and fought some things, and we’re not going to give up on him. An arm like that, we’ve got to keep working with him, doing what’s best for him.”