Braves Put Struggling Kevin Gausman on IL and Recall AJ Minter From Triple-A
By James.r
Kevin Gausman's tough season is not getting any better. The Braves placed the right-handed pitcher on the 10-day IL Tuesday, citing plantar fasciitis as the reason for the move.
In a corresponding roster move, Atlanta called up lefty hurler AJ Minter from their Triple-A affiliate.
#Braves put Kevin Gausman on the 10-day IL — plantar fasciitis in his right foot. A.J. Minter recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) June 11, 2019
Gausman has had a brutal season so far, leading to reasonable suspicion that this move is less about an injury and more about conserving a roster spot with the 28-year-old out of minor league options.
In 13 starts, Gausman has pitched to the tune of a 6.21 ERA, allowing four or more runs in six of his last 10 appearances. His performance is a far cry from the 10 starts he made after being traded to the Braves last year, when he compiled a 2.87 ERA and a WHIP of just 1.14.
The Braves took on $18.35 million in future salary for Kevin Gausman & Darren O’Day less than a year ago, but wouldn’t give Craig Kimbrel $15 million a year.
— Creg Stephenson (@CregStephenson) June 6, 2019
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Minter, the reliever being recalled to fill Gausman's roster spot, has been inconsistent over numerous major league stints dating back to 2017. He pitched well in 65 games last season, assembling a 3.23 ERA in 61.1 innings. This year, though, he's been awful in limited action, having allowed 12 earned runs in just 11 innings pitched.