The Braves are pushing their ace's next start back to line up with their potential first game of the postseason.
With the postseason right around the corner, the Atlanta Braves’ standing in the postseason is just about certain, as they remain on the brink of clinching the NL East division. However, it remains undetermined if they will start off in the Wild Card series or in the Divisional Series with a bye.
The Braves currently sit four games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second seed in the National League — which would give them a bye during the Wild Card series. But with nine games remaining in the regular season, the chances of earning that bye seem to be getting slimmer.
In light of the outcome of Atlanta playing in a Wild Card series, the Braves are making the necessary adjustments to ensure they are prepared when the time comes.
Braves ace Chris Sale is having his start pushed back to Atlanta’s mid-week series against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Sale is not dealing with any injury matters.
With his last start coming on Sep. 11 against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sale had been on schedule to start the team’s series opener against the Houston Astros on Friday with the team having an off day on Thursday. Instead, his next start will come 12 days later.
Sale’s next start will be six days before the scheduled first game of the Wild Card series. Atlanta is opting to alter their rotation to ensure they can tab their ace on one day of additional rest for Game One of the NL Wild Card series.
Tyler Mahle, who has been one of the league’s best trade deadline acquisitions, will start Friday’s opener in Houston. Grant Holmes and Martín Pérez will start Saturday and Sunday’s games against the Astros, respectively.
Mahle made his last start on Sep. 12, one day after Sale made his. If the Braves had kept their rotation on schedule, Mahle likely would have followed Sale on Saturday. But the off-day on Thursday gives Atlanta the cushion to shift their rotation with eyes on the postseason.
Sale also could have started yesterday’s game, though the Braves opted to start JR Ritchie instead, likely with the rotation shift in mind.
With the way the rotation is shaping up, Mahle will likely start next Thursday’s game against his former team, the day after Sale’s outing. That would set the Braves up for a 1-2 punch of Sale and Mahle in games one and two of the Wild Card series.
