The Atlanta Braves are geared up to take on the Philadelphia Phillies in perhaps the biggest series of their season to this point.
The Braves are still in control of first place in the NL East by a few games, but the Phillies are surging right now.
Before the series began, in a roster move that might not grab headlines, the Braves announced the promotion of a 24-year-old pitcher in their organization.
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Braves Promote 24 y/0 Pitcher Luis Vargas
According to the Braves transactions tracker, 24 y/0 pitcher Luis Vargas is being promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett.
MiLB.com wrote: “RHP Luis Vargas assigned to Gwinnett Stripers from Columbus Clingstones.”
Vargas has spent his entire season at the AA level this season. He has not made his MLB debut yet, but his promotion means the Braves front office wants to see what he can do at a higher stage in the minors.
Across 61.1 IP with the Columbus Clingstones, Vargas has an ERA of 3.23 with 96 strikeouts. Those K/inning numbers are really strong, which is likely what led to the promotion.
For his minor league career (seven seasons), Vargas has 450 strikeouts in 397 innings. He is from Esperanza, Dominican Republic.
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Looking at the Atlanta Braves Right Now…
Back to the Atlanta Braves and their huge series with the Phillies, which begins on Friday night.
Atlanta will roll with Chris Sale in the series opener, while the Phillies are going with an ace of their own in Christopher Sanchez.
It will be tough for the Braves to scratch across offense in this series, as the Phillies are also rolling out Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo.
The Braves have their top starters going as well, as Martin Perez, Tyler Mahle, and Bryce Elder will follow Sale.
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Atlanta Braves Promote 24-Year-Old Pitcher Ahead of Crucial Phillies Series