Hurston Waldrep back, Robert Suarez to the IL, Braves snap losing streak

Yesterday was an interesting day for the Atlanta Braves that started with some mixed news, as Robert Suarez was placed on the IL with elbow inflammation and Hurston Waldrep was added to the active roster.

Elbow injuries and pitchers are an uneasy combination, but Walt Weiss did say that there is no structural damage. The Braves just felt it was best to give him a couple of weeks off in the middle of the season to keep him fresh — a no-brainer considering how valuable Suarez has been in his first season with the club.

On the field, the Braves squeaked out a much-needed win over the Giants in a game that Reynaldo Lopez started for the first time since late April. Lopez isn’t fully stretched out, so he only went three innings, allowing one run on four hits with a lone strikeout.

It’s better than what the Braves have been getting out of most of their rotation lately, but to say Lopez’s performance was very inspiring would be a lie. The stuff just isn’t popping off the screen like it used to, with his fastball sitting around 93-94 and inducing very few whiffs.

A similar thing can be said about Hurston Waldrep — although, for a very different reason. Waldrep did hold the Giants scoreless, and the stuff is there for him to be a legitimate frontline starter if everything clicks, but his control is a major issue, something that was apparent throughout his rehab assignment. You aren’t going to walk four guys and get away with it very many times at this level, and he needed 55 pitches to complete two innings.

Following the game, Weiss made it clear the intention is to keep using Hurston Waldrep as a starter, whether that’s at the major-league level or in Gwinnett moving forward remains to be seen. He could probably use a little more time on the farm to fine-tune things.

The Braves will send Bryce Elder to the mound Saturday night, who is looking to weather the storm after his last five starts in which he’s posted an 8.31 ERA.

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(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)