Brian Snitker told the media on Friday that he hopes Dallas Keuchel will make his debut on Friday in Washington. Nothing is set in stone, but providing there are no setbacks, Atlanta fans will start their weekend with a treat in the form of a bearded lefty.
Snit says he hopes Keuchel will make his debut Friday at Nationals Park. But for now, the club is listing TBA, which I assume stands for The Big Acquisition.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 17, 2019
Keuchel threw seven scoreless innings in Rome last Monday and tossed 106 pitches in Mississippi on Saturday. Before being signed by the Braves, he was throwing simulated games every five days. Keuchel has told Alex Anthopoulos he is ready, and I’d be shocked if he wasn’t on the mound on Friday at Nationals Park.
Sean Newcomb set to return
Newcomb, who started for Kevin Gausman on Saturday, looks to be okay after taking a smoking line drive to the head off the bat of J.T. Realmuto. It forced Newk out of the game, but he did not suffer a concussion – only a noticeable bruise. Snitker said the lefty could be ready to pitch by Wednesday.
Snit said Newcomb could be available out of the bullpen as early as Wednesday https://t.co/yEzS9AVKsr
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 17, 2019
With Keuchel set to enter the rotation, expect Newcomb to go back to the bullpen where he has only allowed three runs in 16 appearances this season.
Ender Inciarte still not close to a return
The Braves are in no rush to bring back Ender Inciarte. They are 21-9 with Austin Riley starting in left field. Regardless, Snitker said the three-time Gold Glove award winner is not nearing his return. Snit also said the back injury is much more severe than he initially expected.
Inciarte has begun doing some baseball activities, but is still “a ways away” and there’s no timetable before he goes on a rehab assignment.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) June 17, 2019
When Inciarte finally is healthy, the Braves will be forced to make a difficult decision. There is no way they can put him back in the starting lineup, and his lack of offense makes him a liability on the bench. I don’t see how this goes any other way than a trade or a potential stint in AAA.