The Braves on Sunday posted their list of probable starting pitchers for this week’s series versus the Mets.
What stood out: “TBA” – To Be Announced – for Monday’s series opener. Bryce Elder was lined up to start the game, but he and Charlie Morton were pushed back a day.
On Monday, the Braves will start Allan Winans versus the Mets, whom he shut out over seven innings in New York on Aug. 12. Braves manager Brian Snitker said the club will announce the corresponding roster move on Monday.
The questions now: Will the Braves keep Winans in their rotation over Yonny Chirinos? And how will the Braves get Winans on the roster?
After Saturday’s start against the Giants, in which he surrendered four runs over four innings, Chirinos was asked how he felt about his performance with the Braves thus far.
“I’m gonna keep taking advantage of the opportunities the team’s giving me,” he said through interpreter Franco García. “I’m going to continue to work hard and keep my head up, stay positive, continue to really just work and develop. It’s a continuous process of evaluating and re-evaluating how things are going. As far as the results, I don’t think they’ve gone as I’ve expected or hoped, but a lot of times those are things that you just can’t control. Just continue to work hard and continue to evaluate and continue to just make adjustments.”
Since Atlanta claimed Chirinos off waivers from the Rays, he’s allowed 23 earned runs in 22 1/3 innings pitched. Of his five starts, his best one came on Aug. 2, when he gave up three runs over five innings. While pitching in a Braves uniform, he hasn’t yet gone over five innings and hasn’t yielded fewer than three runs.
Asked if the Braves will let Chirinos make his next start, Snitker on Saturday said: “We don’t have any plans right now. We’ll talk about it. It’s five days away. There’ll probably be a lot of conversation about everything, everybody, everything – not just that situation.”
Here’s where this becomes tricky, depending on how you view it: Chirinos has over five years of Major League service time, which means the Braves cannot option him without his consent. This is why the Rays had to put him on waivers in July.
So, do the Braves feel Chirinos is valuable enough to keep? Or would they eventually risk losing him by making him the corresponding move for Winans or someone else in the future?
In terms of getting Winans on the active roster, the Braves don’t appear to have any obvious injured-list candidates. Michael Harris II was out of Sunday’s lineup after fouling a ball off his foot on Saturday, but that doesn’t seem like it would require time on the injured list. If no one goes on the injured list, someone might be designated for assignment.
In Triple A, Winans leads qualified starters in the International League with a 2.79 ERA – which is more than a full run better than the second-place mark. His 1.03 WHIP and .212 opponents’ batting average also rank first. Winans shut out the Mets over seven innings on Aug. 12.
Over 15 starts in Triple A this season, Michael Soroka has a 3.24 ERA over 15 starts. Soroka was OK in his big-league stints, but didn’t exactly seize the opportunity. But Winans was the first in line if Atlanta had an opening for a starter.
In a doubleheader in Queens, Winans struck out nine Mets and allowed only four hits. He was asked what he hopes he’s shown the Braves over his first two big-league starts.
“I feel like I’m a competitor at heart,” Winans said. “I showed that I can compete at this level. I’m scratching the surface, I think.”
He will get a third start in the majors.
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