Roki Sasaki threw 23 pitches in the first inning before being pulled from the game after he gave up four runs, with three walks and two hits. His command was awful, throwing only eight strikes. He used four fastballs, seven cutters, and five splitters, showing his new third pitch, but he could not find the strike zone.
One of the first things you'll notice about Oviedo is his size. At 6′6″ and 275 pounds, he instantly becomes the largest player on the team, clocking in as tall, but even heavier than Garrett Crochet and Payton Tolle. If you're not familiar with Oviedo, that may be because he's only started nine games over the last two seasons. He had Tommy John in December 2023, and then had a right lat strain this spring that kept him out until August.
Cedric first appeared in mid-May in the FCL and made two starts there, before being sent to Rome for his final 13 starts of the season. He had a 0.00 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 13 strikeouts to two walks in 7.1 innings with the FCL team before he pitched to a 3.74 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in Rome, striking out 66 and walking 41 in 53 innings.
We've got some more roster shuffling to discuss as the Atlanta Braves are continuing to throw stuff at the wall and figure out what sticks and what doesn't. This time, they've decided to go with one of their most intriguing pitching prospects in the form of Jhancarlos Lara. The hard-throwing right-hander will get the chance to face big league hitters for the first time at some point in the near future.