The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Braves activate Vizcaino with caution
NEW YORK — Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino was activated from the 10-day disabled list Tuesday, and manager Brian Snitker said if the Braves had a lead in the ninth inning Tuesday night against the Yankees, Vizcaino was “going to be out there.”
However, Snitker also said he would be a bit more cautious in the second half of the season and try to assure that Vizcaino stays off the DL and ready to pitch the rest of the way.
That means not overusing him, something that should be easier to manage now that relievers A.J. Minter and Dan Winkler have shown they’re ready for save opportunities if called upon.
Vizcaino converted 15 of 17 save opportunities before going on the disabled list for shoulder inflammation. He had a 1.82 ERA and .204 opponents’ average in 30 appearances before Tuesday, with 33 strikeouts, 12 walks and two homers allowed in 29-2/3 innings.
After giving up three runs and four hits over consecutive appearances May 13-15, he converted all eight save opportunities in a span of
10 scoreless appearances before he was placed on the DL on June 24. He pitched four times in a five-day span June 13-17, converting four saves, before the shoulder issue flared after the last of those appearances.
The Braves gave him a few days of rest in hopes of avoiding a DL stint, to no
avail. After taking about a week to rest, Vizcaino said he had no problems in two bullpen side sessions when he tested the shoulder in the past week.
Five things to know: After the Braves’ 11-inning, 5-3 win over the Yankees in Monday night’s series opener at Yankee Stadium:
1. Atlanta had the National League’s best overall record (49-34) and the league’s best road record (26-17). The second-best mark in the NL belonged to the Brewers (4935), who host the Braves in another much-anticipated series starting Thursday at Milwaukee, that one a fourgame set. Their 15 games
over .500 is the most for the Braves since they finished 96-66 in 2013 and won the NL East.
2. With his two-run homer in the 11th inning Monday, Ronald Acuna became the youngest Brave to hit a game-winning, extra-inning homer since Andruw Jones hit one in the 10th inning against the Padres on April 26, 1997. Acuna was 20 years and 196 days old, 193 days older than Jones. The homer was Acuna’s first extra-inning homer and the Braves’ third this season, after Ozzie Albies ( June 25 vs. Cincinnati) and Kurt Suzuki (April 11 at Washington). All three came in the 11th inning.
3. The Braves were 4-0 to start a 10-game trip, their four-game winning streak standing as the longest in the majors. The Nationals (42-41) had lost three in a row and fallen seven games behind the NL East-leading Braves and 3-1/2 games behind the second-place Phillies (4537). The Braves and Phillies were each 13-7 in their past 20 games, while the Nationals were 5-15.
4. The Braves’ 24-18 record against teams currently at or above .500 was the best mark in the NL and fourthbest in the majors behind the Yankees (32-16), Red Sox (30-19) and Mariners (27-20). The defending World Series champion Astros were 29-22 in such games, fifth-best in the majors.
5. The Braves improved to 29-9 when their starter pitches at least six innings. Anibal Sanchez worked six Monday.