Pitcher Kevin Gausman, obtained from Baltimore at the trade deadline Tuesday, will join the Braves on Thursday in New York and will start his first game for his new team Saturday.
Gausman was in a convenient location when the trade occurred: in New York for an Orioles series against the Yankees. He remained there to await the Braves’ arrival for the start of a four-game series against the Mets.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said after Wednesday’s rainout at SunTrust Park that Gausman’s first start for the Braves, originally slated for Friday, will be pushed back to Saturday at Citi Field.
Mike Foltynewicz will start Thursday’s series opener against the Mets, followed by Anibal Sanchez on Friday, Gausman on Saturday and Julio Teheran on Sunday.
Wednesday’s rainout -- a game that Sanchez had been scheduled to start -- led Snitker to rearrange his rotation for the upcoming series.
The rearrangement delayed Sean Newcomb’s next start until Tuesday’s doubleheader in Washington. By that point, Newcomb will have had eight days’ rest since his 134-pitch effort in a near no-hitter against the Dodgers last Sunday. Newcomb gave up his only hit in that game with two out in the ninth inning.
Snitker said he plans to work a sixth starter into the Braves’ rotation pretty regularly as the team faces a grinding schedule in the coming weeks, likely meaning more opportunities for Max Fried.
“I think probably it’s as much day-to-day and how the individual starts go,” Snitker said of how he plans to use a sixth starter. “I see us doing it again probably just because of the stretch we’re in, trying to keep guys with a little extra rest. It’s going to be, I would say, probably regular that we’ll work to do it.”
Depending on his usage out of the bullpen during the Mets series, Fried could start one of the games of the doubleheader in Washington.
Kolby Allard made his major-league debut Tuesday night in a spot start, essentially as a sixth starter, and then was returned to Triple-A Gwinnett after the game, as planned. The Braves called up pitcher Wes Parsons from Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday for possible help in the bullpen.
Allard pitched five innings Tuesday, allowing nine hits and five runs (four earned) and getting the win. He also collected his first major-league hit.
“The big thing is, it was a great experience for him,” Snitker said. “He got a major-league win, hit, the whole thing, and handled himself, I thought, really, really well.”
Touki Toussaint and Luiz Gohara, both at Gwinnett, also could be options for spot starts if needed, or bullpen roles.
Snitker is eager to see Gausman in action for the Braves.
“I saw him a lot (in the minor leagues) and liked him,” Snitker said. “I’ve been a fan of his ever since I saw him. He’s got good stuff, and I think this is going to be a good opportunity for him. I think our system will help him.”
Gausman, 27, had a 39-51 record and 4.22 ERA in his career with Baltimore, including 5-8 (4.43 ERA) this season and 11-12 (4.68 ERA) last season. He has struck out 8.21 batters per nine innings and walked 2.71 batters per nine innings. His best season was 2016, when he had a 3.61 ERA in 30 starts.
He worked an average of 183 innings each of the past two seasons and has worked 124 innings this season.
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