Braves may receive huge pitching boost for playoffs

The Atlanta Braves are getting ready to close the regular season and push into the Major League Baseball Playoffs. Atlanta is looking to get right-handed relief pitcher Robert Suarez healthy for the postseason. He is making progress.

“(Suarez) is expected to pitch in a Minor League rehab game for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sept. 20. There’s still hope he’ll be ready by the start of the postseason,” MLB.com reported.

Suarez has been battling elbow inflammation. This season, the pitcher has four saves working in relief. He also has been very effective with a 0.56 ERA. Suarez has also posted four victories.

The reliever has appeared in 31 games this season for Atlanta. He hasn’t pitched though since mid-June, as the Braves went on this season to win plenty of games in the National League.

Suarez is in his first year in Atlanta, after playing several seasons for the San Diego Padres. The reliever has a lifetime regular season ERA of 2.60.

“We’re just reevaluating him every day, but things have gone well,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said, per MLB.com. “He’s progressed well throughout this rehab. So, I don’t anticipate anything. We just never know. It would be nice to see him in a big league game, but I’m not sure. I’m not sure if that’s going to happen.”

Entering Saturday, the Braves are first in the NL East. Atlanta has a 90-64 record on the season. The club is five games ahead of the second place team, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Weiss has left the door open about Suarez returning even during the regular season. Atlanta still has work to do to win the division.

“There’s a chance,” Weiss said. “I don’t know. As we sit here today, I don’t know exactly how that’s going to unfold. I think all the options are possible.”

The Braves are in action on Saturday against the Houston Astros.