Beachy to Return Wednesday for Braves
By Editorial Staff
Atlanta’s starters have produced some of the best numbers in the league this season. A lot of that has to do with the individual talent that the Braves’ pitchers bring to the table. However, their success as a team is due to the impressive pitching depth Atlanta has accumulated.
This weekend was a prime example of their stockpile of arms. Soon after the club learned that Tommy Hanson was heading to the disabled list with shoulder inflammation, the Braves announced the 24 year old would be replaced in the rotation by another solid young arm, Brandon Beachy.
Beachy will be activated from the team’s DL this Wednesday to take the bump in Hanson’s place. He was set to make another rehab start, but instead he will rejoin the big club and be inserted back into the rotation.
The right hander was on the shelf for a little over a month with an injured oblique. In 8 starts this season, Beachy has held an ERA of 3.45 to go along with his 1.08 WHIP. He was striking out more than a batter an inning and held hitters to a .221 batting average.
After his injury, Beachy was replaced as Atlanta’s 5th starter by top prospect Mike Minor. Minor has struggled with Atlanta since, with only 1 of his 5 starts being quality. On the year Minor has maintained an ERA of 5.47 and has walked nearly 5 batters per 9 innings.
Hanson is hoping he can return right when he’s eligible to come off of the disabled list, which would be June 28th. The club would then have a decision of who to send down to make room in the rotation. But, if Beachy can pick up where he left off before the injury, it won’t be a very difficult one.