The Braves have placed right-handed pitcher Anthony Swarzak on the 10-day injured list and have recalled Chad Sobotka to take his spot on the active roster, according to Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Swarzak is dealing with right shoulder inflammation.
It’s a dose of frustrating news for the Braves, who have largely had to scrap together a bullpen of misfits, outcasts, and converted starters. Among that group, though, Swarzak has emerged as perhaps the most reliable piece since his acquisition in late May. The team’s 15 blown saves are tied for the fourth-most in the National League, and Swarzak’s elevation represented a unforeseen development of stability for an otherwise tumultuous bullpen unit.
In light of his recent success, the trade that sent Jesse Biddle and Arodys Vizcaino to Seattle, though perceive as a relatively minor swap at the time, seems like a major victory for Alex Anthopoulos and company. Vizcaino, though a quality reliever in his own right, is out for the remainder of the season and wouldn’t have been able to contribute to a Braves’ postseason run in 2019. Meanwhile, Jesse Biddle failed to deliver in Seattle and has since been designated for assignment, now finding himself in the Rangers’ organization.
Swarzak, though, has a history of shoulder problems, including issues that he encountered this spring with the Mariners. It makes the latest injury more worrisome for the contending Braves, who will certainly hope that Swarzak’s injury doesn’t keep him out of action for an extended period of time. Regardless of his status, Atlanta will still likely be in the market for pitching help as the trade deadline approaches, but a significant injury to their best reliever would only heighten the demand for reinforcements.
Sobotka, meanwhile, has only pitched 14 innings for the Braves this season, and has returned mixed results in parts of two season with the team. The big right-hander has flashed solid strikeout stuff, but has often struggled to find the strike zone, walking an average of 5.7 batters per nine innings pitched for his career. To be sure, he has the tools to become a mainstay in the Atlanta bullpen, but whether he can put it all together in the Majors remains to be seen: he followed up last year’s 1.88 ERA with a 7.07 mark in limited action this season.
Call up someone else…. find a better solution to the problem
Sobotka was excellent in his only outing during his last recall.
And if he could pitch 1 inning every 2 months he’d be excellent.
That Ynoa kid looked pretty raw a couple weeks ago but had some pretty good stuff. Wouldn’t mind seeing that kid get a short call up for a week or so.
Why have Chad Sobotka when you could have Vladimir Sobotka instead.
NO! Swarzak has been our best pen guy since we got him. hope this doesn’t turn into something big.
thinking same thing. was thinking Swarzak should be closing before this happened.
closing is a big role with pressure. swarzak is great for relief Idk about closing. worth a shot tho. id love to see snitker talk Folty into thr closing role. hes an all or nothing pitcher as is.
Bad idea with Folty’s mound presence this year. He’d be in his own head.
Folty was pressed into action too soon. 2 or 3 starts in the minors could get him back on track. Jackson has been good lately, and still has a 2.85 ERA on the season.
Folty just looked great at AAA going 7.1 IP. Let him gain some confidence and he can most the most impact at the front-end.
Agreed
Don’t mean to be nitpicky but I think I read in the AJC today that he actually went 7.2 innings. The reporter could have been wrong though. They make errors all the time.
Swarzak sucked in Seattle and with the Mets last year. He was bound to regress badly so this saves you the meltdowns.
That trade was to sacrifice Biddle to the gods of mediocrity. Anything we get out of Swarzak is icing.
I agree with Run totally. We basically gave up nothing for Swarzak since Biddle was DFA’d and gonna be claimed anyway. On top of that we got the M’s to eat the negative worth Vizciano contract. If Swarzak never pitches for the Braves again it was still a huge bargain/win for us. IMO the only thing that could have even theoretically made the trade microscopically better is if we took less $ from the M’s but held onto Venters long enough for his entire contract to be eaten by Seattle in that trade too. That way on the 1% chance that Venters actually returns to form he would be in the AL as opposed to pitching for a top 3 team in the Braves division.
Venters is with the Nationals not the Mariners and he is currently in their bullpen.
As a matter of fact Venter pitched 1.2 innings in the Nationals loss Saturday with 3 strikeouts.
Maybe the Braves have been pitching coaches than the Mets and Mariners?
That sucks
The greatest trade acquisition of all time according to Braves fans has fallen.
I’m not sure what Braves fans you’ve been talking to, but the trade w/ AZ will forever go down as the best ever.
John smoltz for Doyle Alexander is the greatest trade in braves history
Hopefully, Teheran steps on a lego so we don’t have to see him again either!
I know he is destroying your undying faith in FiP, but he’s been the opposite of what he has been the last few years: reliable.
@RunDMC don’t waste your time with that troll.
I agree with you about this season for the most part. I can’t say that his last couple starts haven’t made me worry about whether or not he is turning back into the old Julio. It is a long season and things usually tend to even out. It is very hard to get out of trouble all the time. I think he has had one of his best seasons in recent memory but I wouldn’t be shocked if he followed that up with the worst 2nd half of his career. Wishing for an injury is ridiculous though. We have a 6 1/2 game lead now. At the very least we need him to eat up innings so guys like Soroka and Freid can use the bullpen more. Either that or capitalize on his 1st half by trading him to a SP needy contender in exchange for a good relief pitching rental.
@AllOurGodsHaveAbandonedUs
Youre a god/=*$ monster. I could understand wishing a broken leg or hit by a car , but a lego!? I wouldnt wish that on my worst enemy.
Nice bullpen Red Sox, hilarious!
Maybe you should have taken a left turn at Albuquerque?
Misfits and outcasts is correct. It’s been frustrating and fun and frustrating… Swarzak has been great, so I hope he returns asap.
No!!! Swarzak the main reason the Braves bullpen has been the best in all of baseball since early May…at least that what @fabulous61 will tell you bwahaha smh…
hey, the stats don’t lie, it’s a known fact.
do you truly believe we have the best bullpen in all of baseball?! If stats dont lie and that’s the gospel then you must thinks so correct?!….I look past the ‘stats’ and see a bullpen built on a house of cards
@braveshomer, I in no way said the Braves have the best bullpen in baseball. I simply stated the facts that their bullpen had been the best in the majors since Swarzak was acquired in late May. If you had any idea how to comprehend what you read then you wouldn’t be twisting it around and implying that I said something completely different.
@fabulous61, yeah us morons have a hard time with comprehension….all good, I just like ruffling the feathers of those who hear a simple fact somewhere and then spew to everyone any chance they get to make themselves seem more knowledgable than others…good times lol
Minter another suck game
Back to the minors
Why would you take Newcomb out for Minter?
A very reliable source has said that the Marlins have said that they are interested in trading Caleb Smith to the Braves for 2 of these 3 pitchers. Gohara, Wilson, Ynoa.
Lol