ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves’ pitching staff took a couple of hits Sunday with starter Sean Newcomb sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett and closer Arodys Vizcaino put on the injured list.
Newcomb, a fixture in the rotation since June 2017, couldn’t hold a 4-0 lead in the Braves’ win Saturday over the New York Mets, and was pulled after allowing five hits, four runs and two walks in 1 1/3 innings.
Vizcaino is sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. He has been injured several times in his career and felt pain while warming up Saturday night.
Relievers Dan Winkler and Jacob Webb were recalled from Gwinnett in corresponding moves.
Newcomb, a former first-round draft pick who came within one strike of a no-hitter last July, struggled badly in spring training, allowing 17 hits, 12 runs and 15 walks in 21 innings. He has struggled to consistently attack the strike zone even though the Braves are confident in his stuff.
PIRATES: Right-hander Chris Archer dropped his appeal and began serving a five-game suspension for setting off a benches-clearing altercation April 7.
The impact of Archer’s suspension will be minimal. He ended his appeal a day after allowing one run in seven innings against Washington, getting a no-decision in Pittsburgh’s loss. The Pirates have two days off this week, and Archer will make his next start April 21 against San Francisco.
He was suspended for throwing a fastball behind Derek Dietrich of Cincinnati, who stood and watched a long home run in his previous at-bat. Archer was not among the five players ejected from the game.
“I don’t think there’s going to be a reduction in suspension games, so it’s just time to move on,” Manager Clint Hurdle said.
TIGERS: Left-hander Matt Moore will undergo surgery this week to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The Tigers said they won’t have a definite timetable for Moore’s return until after Wednesday’s scheduled procedure in Dallas, although Moore said he’s hoping for a recovery time of 4 to 6 weeks.
Moore hurt the knee April 6 when he left in the third inning of his start against Kansas City. Since then, he said, he’s had two setbacks.
“I know I have a tear in my meniscus, it’s just the severity of it I think is a little bit unknown right now,” Moore said. “It’s when he gets in there, and that’s when I guess they make those decisions. He can only fix what he can see and right now they can’t really tell enough through the MRI to tell me exactly which type of repair they’re going to have to do.”
METS: Jason Vargas will keep his spot in the rotation for at least one more start.
Manager Mickey Callaway said he spoke with the struggling left-hander and told him he wouldn’t have a diminished role after lasting just six batters and 36 pitches while getting one out at Atlanta.
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