Paul Maholm To Join Rotation Soon?
By Jeff Schafer
The Atlanta Braves sit firmly in first place in the NL East and have a great thing going right now especially with starting rotation and bullpen. Throughout the season though, many questions concerning the pitching have sparked in conversations. More questions will soon be coming…
April 26, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Paul Maholm (28) pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Paul Maholm landed on the disabled list on July 21st with a bruised left wrist, but he’s on track to rejoin the starting rotation soon.
Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that Maholm made it through a simulated game on Monday with no issues. The next step will be a minor league rehab assignment, which is scheduled to be will Class A Rome on Saturday.
Maholm threw six innings of a simulated game Monday afternoon, throwing 80 pitches. Paul said afterward he didn’t have any lingering issues with his sprained left wrist.
“It’s not like I’m trying to build up to throwing 95 (mph) again,” Maholm said. “Just facing hitters is good.”
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has mentioned that he is still thinking over how he will handle Maholm’s return, with a six-man rotation among the possibilities. This could be a way to give our young pitchers some extra rest down the stretch.
“We could give somebody a rest and plug Pauly in there and do that if we have to,” Gonzalez said. “You could go six-man [rotation]; I haven’t looked at the schedule. Do you want to do that and disrupt that? I don’t know, we’ll see. But if everything goes well, you’re still talking nine days from now — five and then another four after [the rehab start]. You’re talking eight or nine days before you make that decision.”
Maholm, 31, has a 4.41 ERA and 82/36 K/BB ratio in 118 1/3 innings through 20 starts in 2013. He started the season with three consecutive scoreless outings but in his last 17 starts, he has a 5.33 ERA and hasn’t been the same pitcher.
Paul is scheduled to start the game in Rome and pitch six innings against the Charleston Riverdogs.
Game starts at 7pm on Saturday. We will update on his performance