Atlanta Braves DFA Mike Foltynewicz
Mark Bowman of MLB.com has reported that the Atlanta Braves have designated right-handed starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz for assignment. In response to a Twitter follower, Bowman indicated that this does not necessarily mean the right-hander is ending his time with the Braves. If nothing is done in the next seven days, Foltynewicz might be sent to the Braves alternate camp in Gwinnett. All of this comes on the heels of a rough outing against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up four hits, six earned runs, three home runs, and four walks. He threw 70 pitches in his outing, with only 38 being counted as strikes.
Foltynewicz’s struggle with a significantly lower velocity is well documented, and manager Brian Snitker said that the game in Tampa was not enough to save him. In his postgame interview with Bowman and other reporters, the skipper referred to Foltynewicz as “a stuff guy.” He followed that up by simply saying, “the stuff hasn’t been there.”
Foltynewicz’s Braves Career
The right-hander joined the Braves via a trade with the Houston Astros at the beginning of 2015. The swap brought Foltynewicz, young third base prospect Rio Ruiz, and minor league pitcher Andrew Thurman to Atlanta. Star catcher Evan Gattis and reliever James Hoyt went to Houston. Since then, Foltynewicz has racked up a 44-41 record, posted a 4.30 ERA with a 98 ERA+, allowed 649 hits, 98 home runs, and 232 walks, while striking out 641 batters in 667 1/3 innings of work.
He enjoyed his first All-Star season with the Braves in 2018, going 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA, and leading the league with two complete games. He posted a 143 ERA+ and a 1.082 WHIP while finishing eighth in Cy Young Award voting. However, in the postseason against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he stumbled. In two starts, he gave up five earned runs in six innings with seven walks. He struck out 10 batters, but that was the only bright spot. He would have even more postseason trouble in 2019. His start in Game Five against the St. Louis Cardinals would elicit six more earned runs.
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