Braves Rumors: Kyle Wright has a forgettable rehab start
Braves fans twiddling their thumbs awaiting Kyle Wright's return may have to wait some more. The star pitcher has missed most of the season due to a right shoulder strain, but things were looking up for Wright in recent weeks after a sharp first rehab start.
In his second rehab start in Gwinnett, however, Wright pitched a wholly forgettable game. In just under two innings, he gave up three hits and three runs with two walks and just one strikeout.
It's a far cry from Wright's first rehab game in which he threw three scoreless innings, but worry not, Braves fans. rehab lines don't mean much in the grand scheme of things.
With the Braves cruising into the 2023 playoffs, the team is in no rush to get Wright back in the lineup. Rehab starts are less about results and more about making sure players are healthy and don't suffer any setbacks.
Anytime a star player returns from injury, there's almost bound to be a wrinkle here and there. As long as Atlanta closes out the season on a strong note, Wright can keep on improving his form and building up his pitch count and confidence in Triple-A.
Braves Rumors: Is Darius Vines here for the long haul?
The Braves' fortune just keeps on getting better. This week, Braves' 2019 seventh-rounder Darius Vines got called up for his MLB debut on Wednesday. In a 7-3 win against the Rockies, Vines looked every bit the part of an elite pitcher allowing two runs and four hits over six innings, along with five strikeouts and one walk.
Vines, a top-10 prospect in Atlanta's farm system, suffered a shoulder issue that forced him to sit on the shelf for a chunk of the 2023 season. The 25-year-old has nonetheless pitched well in the minors with a 2.70 ERA, causing the Braves to reward him with his MLB debut this week.
In an emotional game in which the Braves recorded their 250th homer of the season and Vines' own mother cried tears of joy, Vines won hearts everywhere for his sparkling start in a tough ballpark.
What's next for the youngster? The Braves could choose to give Vines another start at home on Tuesday -- it'd be difficult to argue that he doesn't deserve it.
One well-pitched game is hardly enough to warrant a permanent spot in the Braves' current rotation, and moving forward, Vines could develop into a bullpen option or a player capable of making a spot start in a pinch.
Scouting reports peg Vines as a potential back-of-the-rotation arm due to his command of a three-pitch repertoire that includes a fastball, slider, and changeup.
Braves Rumors: Atlanta could reunite with Yankees reject Josh Donaldson
After the Yankees released infielder Josh Donaldson earlier this week, should the Braves look to reunite with a former MVP candidate?
Donaldson in 2023 is nowhere near Donaldson in 2019. Four years ago, when Donaldson inked a one-year deal with Atlanta, he slashed .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs and 94 RBIs. This year, the 2015 AL MVP saw his time with the Yankees get cut short due to a litany of injuries and downright bad performancesat the plate.
Several years removed from his last decent season, Donaldson doesn't stick out as a particularly necessary pick-up for Atlanta. He would be cheap, as any team that signs him after 1 p.m. ET tomorrow will only have to pay the vet minimum salary for him, a prorated $720,000.
The Braves can absolutely afford that. Should they take the plunge?
Stashing a washed-up 37-year-old infielder just doesn't feel like the move of a serious World Series-contending team. With Austin Riley and Matt Olson looking in great shape, a player like Donaldson seems like unnecessary luggage the Braves would have to carry around in the playoffs.
Donaldson probably doesn't regret following the money in 2020 when he signed with the Twins, and the Braves won't regret passing on an old friend, either.
