Mike Minor to be skipped in Atlanta Braves rotation

Mike Minor is struggling right now, and after an extended period of woe, Fredi Gonzalez and the Atlanta Braves have decided to try a method of reinvigorating their still-young left-hander. Minor will be skipped during the next turn of the rotation for the Braves, and as a result, his next start will not come until August 12th against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 26-year-old was, once again, hammered during a blowout loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday night, but that was simply the latest in what has been a rough campaign for Minor. In 17 starts and 98 innings (which is a problem in and of itself), Minor has posted a 5.42 ERA, and while the peripherals indicate that he has been quite unlucky (3.76 xFIP, .354 BABIP, 15.9% HR/FB rate), there is no doubt that Minor hasn’t been pitching well in recent days.

Because of off days, the Braves will not be forced to use a spot starter or anything of the sort, and that makes this an opportune time to give Minor a mental break. Much will be made about his next start, but with a pitcher that exhibits the pedigree of Mike Minor, patience is optimal in this spot, and hopefully, this break to snap him out of the recent funk.