LOS ANGELES — Braves manager Brian Snitker has repeatedly said he will be careful with his pitching staff as it works in the early stages of a season preceded by a brief spring practice session. However, it was unclear why Sean Newcomb was the first option from the bullpen in the fourth inning of a 7-4 loss to the Dodgers Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
When a reporter asked why he was using Newcomb, Snitker replied, “As opposed to who?”
AJ Minter could have been an option as the Braves were just three runs behind with two outs and Freddie Freeman got to the plate in the fourth. Instead, Freeman left and Trea Turner followed with a three-run double from Newcomb.
“If I start it [A.J.] Minter and Will Smith and [Tyler] Matzek…if I put these guys in that position, we won’t have them until the All-Star break,” Snitker said.
There’s no doubt that Snitker is responsible for keeping his top Reliables fresh throughout the season. But none of the primary rescuers were deployed on Sunday and the team has a day off on Thursday. With 28 players on the active roster through May 1, the Braves currently carry 16 pitchers.
The decision to go with Newcomb became even more questionable as the Braves cut their deficit to 6-4 and chased Clayton Kershaw during a sixth run three.
Minter or Darren O’Day, both of whom played goalless on Monday, were other options to come up in fourth place. But a cautious approach gave Newcomb another chance to prove himself. This time the challenge was Freeman, who made himself even more popular with his new fanbase with a first-inning home run against Huascar Ynoa.
“It feels like we’re in Hollywood and you couldn’t write it better for him,” Snitker said of Freeman’s home ring in his first career fight against the Braves, who previously served as the first baseman’s only past employer of the season.
This was a matchup of one of the best players in Braves history against one of the club’s most maligned pitchers in recent years. The result was a four-pitch walk, followed by Trea Turner’s three-run double.
“It’s just tough when you come in and do a four-pitch walk,” Snitker said. “He’s got what it takes to take on Freddie. His stuff can compete with anyone. He just has to throw it overboard.”
Nobody questioned Newcomb’s stuff. That’s what prompted the Braves to trade Andrelton Simmons for him after the 2015 season. That made him a highly respected contender until his MLB debut in 2017.
But five years later, minus a successful 2019 season, the 28-year-old southpaw has been struggling since 2020 with a 6.71 ERA and 1.80 WHIP. And he found himself on the mound for an important inning against the Dodgers.
“It’s an April game,” Snitker said. “You can’t pitch every day. We have to be careful. We could have the lead for the next two days and use it. If so, and we used them tonight in this situation and it didn’t work, don’t have them for a [potential] to win. Then you will ask me the same question.”