Braves' rotation know it's 'go time' for postseason push

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

DENVER -- Remember the many times I wrote that the Braves shouldn’t stop giving their starters extra rest just to chase a seventh straight National League East title? Well, that was before there was concern about this team even reaching the postseason.

If the Braves earn a playoff spot, they should benefit from the extra rest they provided their starters through the season’s first four-plus months. Having Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Max Fried healthy and strong in October would give this team a chance to win the World Series.

But now that the postseason is far from a certainty, Atlanta is ready to remove the harnesses.

“It’s kind of go time with all of that,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “There’s no more extra days and all of that, unless we work it in with off-days.”

Each of the starting pitchers -- Sale, Charlie Morton, Grant Holmes and Fried -- for this week’s series in San Francisco will be pitching on regular rest. Sale, Fried and López have each made a team-high two starts with regular rest.

So, should we now refer to regular rest as irregular rest?

Anyway, the Braves need to be lauded for how they have handled their starters this year.

Sale totaled 151 innings over the past four seasons combined. This year, he has distanced himself from the injury bug and become a NL Cy Young Award favorite.

López didn’t pitch more than 65 innings in either of the past two years and Spencer Schwellenbach is experiencing his first unrestricted season as a starter since his 2018 high-school season. The 40-year-old Morton has also stayed healthy all year.

But this is a good time to hit the gas. The Braves have lost 14 of their past 21 games, including seven of their past eight. It’s time to show a sense of urgency.

If the Braves stick with this plan to keep their starters on regular rest over the remainder of the season, Sale could make 10 more starts. That might be two more outings than he would have made while continuing to pitch with extra rest. And given where the team is in the tight National League Wild Card standings, those two games could be the difference.

López should make a rehab start in the Braves’ Minor League system this week. He could be available to be activated to start one of next weekend’s games against the Angels. Or he might line up to pitch during the Phillies series (Aug. 20-22). Either way, Atlanta should benefit from his return.

Sale, Fried and López represented the Braves at the All-Star Game. But all three haven’t been in the rotation at the same time since the All-Star break. The assumption is that Holmes will move to the bullpen when López returns.

Who might be the odd man out to create a roster spot for López? Luke Jackson became a prime candidate when he and Joe Jiménez combined to blow a six-run eighth-inning lead during Sunday’s 9-8 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field. Jackson has allowed six runs on 10 hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings since being acquired from the Giants in the July 30 deal that also brought Jorge Soler to Atlanta.

The Braves could bring center fielder Michael Harris II back from the injured list as early as Wednesday. Harris has gone 10-for-23 (.435) with a homer through his first six rehab games with Triple-A Gwinnett. He has played two games in the outfield and served as the DH in the other four games.

There also now seems to be some hope Ozzie Albies could return during the first half of September.

The Braves (61-56) lost Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider within the season’s first two months. They have been below average since the end of April. They have struggled since the All-Star break, now holding onto the final NL Wild Card spot by a half-game margin over the Mets (61-57). But even after Sunday’s ugly loss, there’s still seemingly reason to believe this team could finally get hot at the right time.