Atlanta Braves starting pitching prospect, Kolby Allard, scratched from start with Gwinnett

Braves making moves either with trades or moving players around

Atlanta Braves starting pitching prospect, Kolby Allard, was scheduled to start today with the Gwinnett Stripers, but is no longer in the lineup.  This immediately begins questions all over, right?

As we approach the July 31st MLB trade deadline, anything can and is likely to happen.  Was Allard traded, was someone else to make room for him?  In any case, Luiz Gohara is now your starting pitcher for the Stripers on Sunday.

Allard is an extremely talented left-handed pitcher.  He’s ranked very high in all of the Braves prospect lists.  In some cases, as high as second or third.  In 2018 so far, he’s posted a 2.80 ERA, with 87 strike outs in 109.1 innings at Triple-A.  The 20-year-old has started 18 games at that level, but seems ready to contend with the big leaguers already.

With Gohara now getting the start with Gwinnett, Joel Sherman of the MLB Network has posted that “multiple (Texas) Rangers scouts are watching big prospect Luiz Gohara in Scranton”.  The Rangers and Braves have been connected with rumors over the last few weeks with players Adrian Beltre and relief pitchers Keone Kela and Jake Diekman.

The Gwinnett game has already started so it’s going to be interesting to see how Gohara does.  Could be on the move.

As for Allard, David O’Brien is saying the Braves can easily create a spot on the 40-man roster for Allard and he could be a strong candidate for a spot start with the big league club this upcoming week.

The Braves have on their schedule the Miami Marlins and the New York Mets.  Just looking ahead at the schedule, it could most likely be Thursday against the Mets or Tuesday against the Marlins to slide everyone back and give an extra day of rest.

As for the 40-man roster?  I can easily see a few names that can be removed.  OR, a trade me be happening where it would make it easier to clear room.  Just throwing this out there, but would the trade Aníbal Sánchez?

No word from anyone about what’s going on, Allard could be getting traded, he could be getting called up, heck, he could have slept on his shoulder wrong last night.

As I get ready to hit publish on this article, Gohara is threw the first inning and struck out two batters.  Rangers scouts I’m sure like what they’ve seen so far!