Good news: Atlanta Braves sign in two mega stars in a blockbuster trade
Both of the May trade acquisitions by the Braves are making an impression on the team thus far.
Although the month of May is not yet finished, the Atlanta Braves have made two trades thus far this month: they acquired infielder Luis Guillorme from the Chicago Cubs and traded one away.
Those two names are Zack Short and Jimmy Herget. When were they each brought to Atlanta in May, and how have they both done since then?
Jimmy Herget and Zack Short making an early impression on the Atlanta Braves organization
First up, Short, a 28-year-old who was purchased on May 9th from the Boston Red Sox for cash, has already had a significant impact at the major league level while Austin Riley, the team’s injured third baseman, is sidelined.
In his four games with Atlanta thus far, Short has started at third base, where he has a perfect fielding %. Short has undoubtedly had an impact on his offense as well, cutting.400/.571/.600 (4-for-10) with a 2:4 K:BB ratio, two doubles, two RBI, and a stolen base.
Conversely, Herget was also purchased for cash on May 2 from the Los Angeles Angels, but he hasn’t played for Atlanta yet because he has only played for Triple-A Gwinnett.
The right-hander has made four bullpen appearances with the Stripers so far, recording a 2.25 ERA across four innings pitched. Over that time, Herget has also recorded one save and a 7:2 K:BB ratio.
As for the future, Short’s role will undoubtedly shrink after Riley recovers from his injury, but he has probably made his case to be kept in Atlanta as a bench option. Herget, who is still in Gwinnett, is a name to keep an eye on since he might play for the Braves at some point this season. Can they both continue to play at this high level in the future?
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Braves and Bryce Elder aim to tie the series on Sunday Night Baseball.
While Bryce Elder looks to build on his last start, the Braves will be hoping that their offense can wake up against Yu Darvish and the Padres.
The four games of the series, which were originally planned for Friday through Monday, were postponed to Monday due to inclement weather on Saturday. This made for an even more bizarre schedule. Although Bryce Elder was supposed to start the series’ second game on Sunday, he will not do so. The game was set for Saturday night.
Elder’s performance this season has been about replacement level, and his overall stats from last season are comparable, with high points in the first half of the season and low points in the second. This season, he has had strong starts against the Marlins and Mets, danced through the raindrops against Cleveland, and got blown up in LA against the Dodgers. Because he lacks the tools to miss a lot of bats at the major league level but still maintains a high ground-ball percentage, Bryce’s main strategy is to avoid walks. As long as he refrains from giving up free bases, he can handle this high-contact profile; nevertheless, once he starts to accumulate walks, it becomes more difficult for him to escape unharmed.
The Padres will respond with Yu Darvish, a pitcher who is far superior to Bryce and will provide an obstacle for the struggling Atlanta offense. In any case, Darvish has a 5.30 ERA in his past seven meetings versus Atlanta, indicating his historical struggles. Compared to most pitchers, Darvish presents a rather unique challenge to batters with his ability to deliver a multitude of pitches at a decent velocity. Naturally, the Braves’ offense is now struggling, as evidenced by their 92 wRC+ since April 13th and just 18th in the league in terms of season-long home runs. Naturally, a large portion of this is due to Atlanta’s unusually awful luck as well as ball modifications that have increased drag, which has resulted in many batted balls that would have been home runs in the past being doubles or outs.
Austin Riley, who has been struggling with a muscle problem in his side, is expected to return to the lineup shortly, though he hasn’t given a specific return date, so it will be worthwhile to keep a watch on him. Travis d’Arnaud, who left Friday’s game due to dizziness, is also anticipated to be on the bench.
In a game that betting markets essentially see as a coin flip, hopefully Bryce can avoid the walks and the offense can emerge from its protracted sleep.
