Mauricio

Cabrera

“It’s going to be good because I think he’s going to jump himself up a notch now,” said Snitker. “I think with what he’s went through I have no reservations about putting him in probably the eighth inning right now. I feel really good about it, actually.” The hard-throwing Cabrera was shaky in his most recent appearances, but has impressed with a 3.20 ERA and 18/6 K/BB ratio over 19 2/3 innings. It’s no surprise to see him get more high-leverage work, as he has the look of a future closer.

The 22-year-old will head to Atlanta to make his big league debut. Cabrera has had a stellar year in Mississippi, holding opponents to a .165 average with 35 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings. He’ll try to carve out a role in middle relief.

Jim Johnson is the fill-in closer, but there’s little doubt who the Braves’ most interesting reliever is at the moment; Cabrera is throwing 100 mph and doing so with fine results. He’s sporting a 2.55 ERA and a 16/6 K/BB ratio in 17 2/3 innings. He could be a closer candidate next year if the Braves trade Arodys Vizcaino.

Vizcaino is back after missing a month with a strained oblique but the Braves will wait before reinserting him into the closer role. The Braves also plan to keep Mauricio Cabrera in the eighth inning, at least for now. Vizcaino should eventually regain the closer job but Johnson’s window of fantasy relevance hasn’t quite closed yet.

Cabrera dispatched the meat of the Brewers’ order with ease, getting groundouts from Ryan Braun and Hernan Perez and striking out Kirk Nieuwenhuis on a 102.3-mph fastball to end the game. The 22-year-old has been very good in his first year in the majors, posting a 2.91 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 20/6 K/BB ratio over 21 2/3 innings. Jim Johnson is still the interim closer -- he was off Tuesday after pitching the previous two days -- and Arodys Vizcaino is the long-term closer, but Cabrera has the stuff to do it if called upon.

Vizcaino, who recently missed a few days due to a topical infection in his elbow, threw just three pitches Friday’s game against the Rockies. Oblique injuries are notoriously tricky and could leave him sidelined well into August. He has been a popular trade target, but this injury could obviously change that. Jim Johnson is probably the favorite for saves during his absence, but the hard-throwing Mauricio Cabrera is also worth watching.

Cabrera issued a one-out walk to Jeff Francoeur of all people, but he was erased on a stolen base attempt and Justin Bour lined out to end it. The hard-throwing right-hander has now notched saves on back-to-back nights. Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said after the game that he wanted to give Jim Johnson another night off, but it sounds like he should be good to go for a possible save chance Saturday.

Cabrera, working on a day when Jim Johnson was unavailable, issued a walk but allowed nothing more to preserve the victory. The save was his fifth in six chances, and he’s also got eight holds. The Braves still have the injured Arodys Vizcaino and it’s unclear what their bullpen might look like next spring, but Cabrera’s 2.95 ERA may earn him a higher-leverage role in 2017.

The flamethrowing Cabrera was penciled into the Braves’ pen at the start of camp, but with wildness getting the better of him lately, it’s possible he could open up in the minors. He’s walked eight while allowing four runs in 7 2/3 innings this spring.

The hard-throwing right-hander has been shut down with discomfort in his pitching elbow. He had been expected to open the season in a setup capacity in front of closer Jim Johnson. It remains unclear how much time he stands to miss, but the Braves will certainly take things cautiously here.