When the Atlanta Braves decided to bring up Allan Winans this week in the wake of Spencer Strider's injury, the hope was that he would be able to replicate the success he had last year in some of his cameo appearances in the big leagues as well as during a strong run at Triple-A. Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened when the Braves got clobbered by the Mets on Thursday and now Atlanta is still in search of answers in their ailing rotation.
The good news is that of all the positions, starting pitcher is where the Braves have the most prospect depth. Some were openly hoping that fans could see top prospects Hurston Waldrep or AJ Smith-Shawver get a look in the very near future, but the Braves opted for a somewhat lesser known name to switch out with Winans for now as they are calling up Darius Vines next.
The #Braves today recalled RHP Darius Vines to Atlanta. The club optioned RHP Allan Winans to Triple-A Gwinnett following yesterday’s game.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 12, 2024
Braves News: Atlanta options Allan Winans to minors, call up Darius Vines
One shouldn't read too much into Winans' promotion. Yes, he had a bad start against New York and that sucked, but he is generally a pretty consistent sixth starter type and it is extremely likely that he will get another chance especially since he is on the 40-man roster already. This is about the Braves getting a fresh arm and a new face and Winans isn't going to be available for several days.
As for Vines, this is a sneaky good call-up. Vines appeared in five games with the Braves in 2023 including a pair of starts and while a 3.98 ERA isn't all that eye-catching, that includes a rough relief appearance and he was largely quite impressive in his limited time in the big leagues last season. His offspeed and breaking stuff is excellent, so as long as he doesn't make mistakes with his less-than-overpowering fastball, he could make some noise in the Braves' rotation.
In two starts for Triple-A Gwinnett in 2024, Vines has posted a 3.75 ERA and has 11 strikeouts against just three walks in 12 innings of work. He also last pitched on April 4th, so he is more than fresh enough to come out and pitch immediately (in a start or out of the bullpen in long relief) if the need arises.