Randall Delgado Heading to the Gwinnett Braves

Photo courtesy of Melinda Pease

Randall Delgado made his final start with the Atlanta Braves for the time being on Saturday. The right-hander started the second game of a doubleheader against the Washington Nationals. With the new Major League rule, when a team has a doubleheader, they can legally have 26 players on the roster to help the stress of the bullpen when playing two games in a day. With the emergence and addition of Ben Sheets to the Braves rotation, Delgado is the odd man out, for now.

The right-hander has been extremely solid during his first full MLB season, posting a 4-9 record with a 4.42 ERA in 17 starts for the Braves in 2012. Delgado has struck out 73 hitters and walked 42 amidst 91.2 innings of work. Opponents are batting .259 off Delgado this year.

Last season with Triple-A Gwinnett, Delgado registered a 2-2 record with a 4.15 ERA in four starts for the G-Braves. He struck out 25 batters while walking just 11 in 21.2 innings pitched for Gwinnett. He went 5-5 with a 3.84 ERA in 21 starts for the Double-A Mississippi Braves.

So far, the transition for Sheets has been better than the Braves ever imagined. The 34-year-old is exceeding expectations as he is 2-0 in his first two starts with zero signs of fatigue or rust settling in. This is a good problem to have for the Atlanta organization, as nobody has ever complained about having too much talented pitching within the organization. For Delgado, it is just a matter of being patient while waiting for his turn once again.

By: Tony Piraro