Atlanta Braves Lefty To Miss Start of Season
By Fred Owens
Braves lefty Manny Banuelos to miss start of season
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, Manny Banuelos will miss the start of the season with elbow soreness. Mark Bowman reported this afternoon that the perpetually injured lefty “dealing with more left elbow discomfort.”
Once a consensus top 100 prospect Banuelos path to the big leagues is riddled with set backs all related to his left elbow.
He had TJ surgery following the 2012 season and missed all of 2013 returning to the mound in August of 2014. That off season the Braves acquired him from the Yankees in exchange for David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve.
He started 2015 at Gwinnett and found himself in Atlanta in July starting against the Nationals and going six innings in a 2-1 win. He started again on July 7 against the Brewers but left the game with dehydration. He returned to make three more starts in July but went on the DL with shoulder inflammation at the end of the month. He returned in September and made two starts going only three innings in each
He came to spring training hoping to earn a spot in the rotation but his velocity was down all spring. He appeared in three games throwing 6 2/3 innings posting a 12.15 ERA with a 2.50WHIP so his chances of making the rotation were rapidly vanishing. This injury is the same one that sidelined him last year and while Bowman reports that the MRI showed no structural damage one has to wonder whether he’ll ever stay healthy.
That’s A Wrap
Since his TJ surgery he’s thrown just 76 2/3 major league innings and his stuff has never approached that which made him a top 100 prospect. With the plethora of pitching in the Braves system now it’s hard to see a way they’ll expend much more time trying to bring him back in order to be a mediocre arm.
The Braves sent Mike Foltynewicz to Gwinnett today to allow him to get enough work to join the rotation toward the end of the month. Indications are that the Braves will carry eight relievers and four starters to start the season in order not to stress the bullpen so early in the year.
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In case you missed it the Braves also signed Drew Stubbs to a minor league deal as well, adding depth to the outfield pool in the event of injury or trade. Stubs is a good fielder with power but strikes out so much he hasn’t been able to hold a starting job.