Braves Pitcher Suffers Loss, Then Demotion

It was a rough few hours for starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa. First, he took a beating at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shortly afterwards, the Atlanta Braves sent the young pitcher down to Triple-A. 

Ynoa surrendered 5 earned runs on 4 hits and 4 walks in 3.2 innings to drop to 0-2 on the season with a 13.50 ERA. As Braves' beat reporter David O'Brien notes, "it's early, but the Braves have seen enough" to know that Ynoa needs more seasoning in the minors. Manager Brian Snitker was a little more optimistic about Ynoa's future however.

Snit said Ynoa’s second start was encouraging after dismal season debut: pic.twitter.com/leei4q7Buu

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) April 19, 2022

"We've just got to keep working it and getting him going... This guy needs to be a big part here." 

The right-hander got off to an impressive start to his 2021 season, posting a 2.23 ERA with a 4-1 record through his first 7 outings. Then came his 8th start—he was pummeled for 9 hits and 5 runs, and promptly punched the dugout wall, breaking his pitching hand and putting him on the shelf for three months. 

Things went much rougher upon his return, as he posted an ERA closer to 6.00 for the rest of the season. 

Now with the rocky start to this season, the 23-year-old will have to right the ship in Triple-A. Let's just hope he takes out his frustrations on opposing batters this time around, rather than dugout walls.

Photo Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports