Braves Raisel Iglesias Looking Like Old Self in New Role

Raisel Iglesias' last two outings for the Atlanta Braves have delivered results we were more accustomed to getting from him. Friday's appearance saw him pitch another scoreless inning, striking out a batter and allowing a base hit. He threw eight of his 12 pitches for strikes.

This was a strong follow-up to his outing on Tuesday where he pitched a perfect frame and struck out two. Friday was the first time in a month that he pitched a second-straight scoreless appearance.

A key difference between these two innings pitched compared to his previous 23 calls from the bullpen is that they came in the eighth inning.

Iglesias had been the Braves closer for more than two seasons before being pulled from the role earlier this month. He's gotten a chance to be the setup man to Dylan Lee, who has been given shots to pitch in the ninth recently. So far, it's been a good fit.

The situations have helped too. He's come in an inning sooner in games where the Braves have a large cushion. It's a lower-pressure situation where he can just let loose.

Manager Brian Snitker currently has the goal of working Iglesias back into the closer role. Getting him in situations where he can succeed and build his confidence back up is a solid strategy. It's also allowed him to work on his approach without reliance on the slider, which had been a liability for him this season.

According to Baseball Savant, Iglesias has thrown two sliders in June. Both of them came in his outing against the Rockies. He hasn't opted for any primary pitch yet. In his last two games, he had a pretty even pitch mix - mainly his sinker, changeup and fastball. Not relying on a pitch in particular could be a good thing.

We'll see how long this setup of the bullpen lasts. Eventually, Daysbel Hernandez is going to be healthy again, and the eighth inning is his spot. That couls be when Snitker opts to go back to the opt formula of Lee in the seventh, Hernandez in the eighth and Iglesias in the ninth. He could also try Iglesias in the seventh if Lee continues to pitch well in the ninth. This part is all speculation.

Right now, there is something working here, and the Braves would benefit from riding it while they can. When the time is right, Iglesias can return to being the closer and dominate once more.

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