ATLANTA -- Robert Suarez will end his three-month absence this week, when he returns to Atlanta’s bullpen to make postseason preparations with a couple of regular-season appearances.
Suarez was activated before Wednesday’s game against the Reds, with right-hander Owen Murphy optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. This will give Suarez a chance to appear in two of Atlanta’s final five regular-season games.
If all goes well, Suarez would be part of the Braves’ roster for the NL Wild Card Series, which begins Tuesday.
“I think it's important that he gets in a Major League game or two before he has to just be thrown into that postseason environment,” manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday.
When Suarez threw a scoreless inning for Gwinnett in a Minor League rehab appearance on Sunday, it marked the first time he had taken the mound since June 19. The two-time All-Star dealt with discomfort after that outing with Atlanta and was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. He had a 0.56 ERA in the 31 appearances he made before being shut down.
Suarez will likely enter at some point after Chris Sale makes his final regular-season appearance on Wednesday. The reliever could make another outing during this weekend’s series in Miami.
A healthy and effective Suarez could be a key to Atlanta’s postseason success. Pairing him with Raisel Iglesias, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee and possibly AJ Smith-Shawver would give the Braves a formidable relief corps that could shorten games.