Last season, Mike Foltynewicz was an All-Star and even received some Cy Young Award votes. Now, he has been demoted to AAA Gwinnett.
Foltynewicz had a later start to the season due to an injury sustained in Spring Training. Though his velocity was lower upon arrival, it has come back to previous levels. This is a good thing, but the results have not come with it. His HR/9 rate has tripled since last season. It is easy to see why he has been frustrated out there.
Personally, I was of the opinion that the Braves should try to ride out Folty, but he has been a liability on the mound this year. We all know what he is capable of, so going down to the minors to fix his mechanics is a good thing. In the fantasy baseball world, Foltynewicz was viewed as a negative regression candidate prior to the season, but no one saw this coming.
The way things are going for the Braves, getting a return to form from Foltynewicz would be the cherry on top of the cake. And I think every Braves fan thinks it is a real possibility he could still play a role come playoff time. But right now, they have to focus on winning. For now, his replacement in the rotation is still up in the air. David O Brien from the Athletic gave us a little insight:
I asked Snitker if preference remains to keep Newcomb in bullpen for now and he said yes, otherwise they'd be "fighting it" again with Newcomb not stretched out to go more than 4-5 innings. So, he's not likely to take Folty's spot of now. Said they'll discuss options. #Braves
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) June 23, 2019
I do think that Newcomb is playing such a vital role in the bullpen as of now that he is best served to stay in that role. But it will be interesting to see if it will be Touki Toussaint, or whether they will summon someone from AAA.