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Braves Talk - August 12

Bill Shanks talks Braves baseball and about the rotation issues

The Braves have lost an entire starting rotation

Mike Soroka - Injured last Monday, out for the season
Cole Hamels - Still injured, timetable unknown
Felix Hernandez - Opted out, at home
Mike Foltynewicz - Struggled & demoted after one game
Sean Newcomb - Struggled & demoted after four games

Atlanta's rotation right now includes Max Fried, Touki Toussaint and Kyle Wright. They haven't even really replaced Soroka yet, and now they must replace Newcomb.

GM Alex Anthopoulos will find someone. But we still have to see what these kids, primarily Toussaint and Wright, can do. Either way, help is needed, since Max Fried can't pitch every game for this Atlanta team.

Toussaint has now allowed 15 runs (14 earned) on 16 hits in 17.1 innings, with five walks and 23 strikeouts in his four games (three starts). His ERA rose from 6.08 to 7.27.

The Braves need Toussaint, especially after sending Sean Newcomb down after his bad start Monday. The team has little choice but to be patient with their young pitcher until they have a better option, which might be difficult still 19 days from the August 31 trade deadline.

After using Bryse Wilson, who was called up Tuesday morning, in relief Tuesday night, the Braves will be forced to use Huascar Ynoa to start what will likely be a bullpen game for the team in the second game against the Yankees Wednesday night.

Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 p.m. ET on Middle Georgia’s ESPN. You can listen online at TheSuperStations.com. Follow Bill on Twitter at @billshanks and you can email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.