With the Braves bullpen, there’s little margin for error. And that margin keeps getting thinner. A.J. Minter, who many thought would be the closer by now, has been horrible in May, allowing 18 hits in 9 IP. Right-handed hitters have an .848 OPS vs Minter, who now sports an unsightly 1.754 WHIP. Remember, he never pitched on consecutive days before this season. He’s pitched on back-to-back days four times this year; yesterday was the first time he allowed a run on the second day of those consecutive appearances.
No worries about Dan Winkler being overworked. Despite being the ‘pen’s most reliable option, by far, he’s appeared in just four games over the last two weeks.