Suarez’s Clean Rehab Outing Means He Must Pitch In Wild Card

Robert Suarez has returned to baseball action and is ready to bolster the Braves' bullpen. During a recent outing with Triple-A Gwinnett, he tossed one scoreless inning, striking out a batter and allowing just one hit. His impressive 0.56 ERA from 31 outings before injury clearly indicates he is the player the team needs. With the National League Wild Card Series kickoff on September 29 and the regular season ending on September 27, there is little time to spare.

Braves manager Walt Weiss has been overly cautious, suggesting Suarez may remain at the Spring Training complex instead of pitching for the big league club. This is an error in judgment. Weiss acknowledged the rehab has gone well, but still hesitates to bring Suarez in before the season's conclusion. The potential reward of having a top-notch setup man in the Wild Card far outweighs the minimal risk.

Suarez is a proven difference maker and absolutely essential for the team's postseason success. The playoffs are the only thing that matters. If Suarez is healthy, he should be pitching. The team must stop overanalyzing and trust the statistics. With only an off-day between the end of the regular season and the beginning of the Wild Card, Suarez must adapt quickly to real game pressure.

The decision to prepare him for the postseason is clear: the scoreless inning in Gwinnett demonstrated his arm is functioning well, and the only remaining uncertainty is whether Weiss will allow him to pitch before the playoffs begin.