The Braves don’t play until Saturday, but they will be gearing up for the NLDS this week and holding workouts that are open to fans over the next three days. One of the primary things Alex Anthopoulos and Brian Snitker will be trying to figure out during this time is which pitchers will fill out the roster. One name to keep an eye on is Collin McHugh, who the Braves quietly activated from the 15-day IL yesterday.Â
McHugh has had a year to forget, and I’m not sure if it has been the lingering shoulder issues or simply Father Time catching up to him. He owns a 4.30 ERA and 1.568 WHIP over 41 appearances and has watched his strikeout rate dip by more than 10% while his walk rate is up 3%. That’s not a recipe for success, but he has suffered from an exceptionally high average on balls in play (.342), For reference, that number was at .266 in 2022, which could suggest he’s due for some positive regression.
Injuries have really crippled Atlanta’s pitching staff at the worst possible time. If everybody was fully healthy, McHugh probably wouldn’t get much consideration for the NLDS roster. However, that’s far from the case, and the Braves might value his experience and ability to go multiple innings out of the bullpen.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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