Braves Could Have Another Rotation Option with José Suarez

Starting pitching depth has been tricky for the Atlanta Braves from start to finish this season, and throwing a doubleheader into the mix only exacerbates the issue. 

José Suarez was called upon after not seeing Major League action in just over five months. He wasn’t officially announced as being added to the roster or being the starting pitcher until hours before the game.

The goal was innings, but they got more than that. He seized the moment and put on a seven-inning performance for the Braves, allowing just two runs. 

Backed by a five-run inning by the bats, the Braves came from behind to take the top half of the doubleheader 6-3. 

It’s the deepest he has pitched into a game this season in either the Majors or minor leagues. Before Tuesday afternoon, the most he had completed was six innings.

The Braves will hand things over to Chris Sale for the second half of the doubleheader. He’s obviously another reliable guy to get innings from, but Suarez's performance took the pressure off in case the next game doesn’t go as planned. 

After all the emergency starters and bullpen days this team has tried, getting this specific kind of day remains a breath of fresh air. They didn’t have to settle for hoping he gets X number of innings. 

Instead, Suarez was another example of a Braves pitcher coming up and delivering in a spot start. We saw it with Hurston Waldrep about six weeks ago in Bristol, Tenn. He got the chance, and he’s been here ever since. 

This isn’t totally the same situation. Waldrep was a top prospect who showed that he was coming into his own. Suarez was picked up for pitching depth earlier in the season, and it happened to be the right chess move. We can’t compare outlooks for that reason, but what they provided was comparable.  

All that being said, he certainly had a performance that warrants giving him another start, especially since he already received another spot on the 40-man roster. 

Another way to look at it is the Braves don't have a lot of left-handed options either. There's value in that when searching for more ways to win matchups.

It’s a time to experiment. Playoffs aren’t on the line, and the goal is to just get to the finish line. It’s one start, but the Braves if more is there. 

If he doesn’t work out, then at least they gave him a shot as opposed to sending him packing after the one game they opted to use him in. 

Expecting seven innings again might be a tall ask. After all. This was the first time he’s gotten this far. However, maybe getting five or six innings out of him could be a reasonable ask. 

More From Atlanta Braves on SI