Just curious if you would like to? He was surprisingly ineffective this year, so if he is up - that is the version I would want to see… But he is overdue to break out.
Yeah, he’s had a horrible year. SSS but he looks like he’s getting it together in AAA after his injury. Only two games but he’s thrown out a 429/.500/1.714/2.214 slash line in those two games. 😂 I’m sure that’s exciting the Mariner fans.
Great content, Mark. Thank you, can only get it here! The lack of a bullpen move is strange. Team obviously has more faith in Schultz and Parker than we readers do! Really surprised Poulin isn’t up. Hopefully no rain tonight!!
I don't suppose I will ever understand baseball personnel decisions. So I am not being critical, only asking if someone can explain to me what the circumstances are that would motivate a team to DFA a relief pitcher putting up quite respectable numbers at Triple A in order to sign another relief pitcher who has nothing but horrible numbers at Double A on his record.
Age is one. The other is that Lara has a higher ceiling. He was the Braves #16 ranked prospect earlier this year. Here’s the scouting report from MLB.com:
In many ways, Lara is already a success story. He signed for just $10,000 in June 2021 at age 18. Since then, he’s risen through the system, coming to the United States in 2023, reaching Double-A in '24, then hitting Triple-A in '25, missing bats -- and the strike zone -- along the way. He was added to the 40-man roster and recalled to the big leagues in September last year, but didn’t appear in a game.
A 6-foot-3 right-hander, Lara has a huge arm, one the Braves were developing as a starter until last year, when he got more work out of the bullpen for the first time in his career. Lara features premium velocity with his fastball, especially out of the 'pen, averaging over 98 mph and topping out at 102 with the heater. But it’s his slider that’s the better of his two-pitch mix, a nasty, hard upper-80s breaker that misses bats at a very high rate.
What kind of role Lara might fill will come down to how many strikes he can throw. He’s walked 6.6 per nine in his career, a rate that spiked to 8.5 per nine in 2025, and was even worse during his Arizona Fall League stint. His swing-and-miss stuff is legit (career 12.0 K/9 rate) and if he can find the zone a bit more consistently, he could carve out a slider-led Camilo Doval-like career in the back end of a big league 'pen.
Thank you for that remarkably detailed information about Mr. Lara. I had missed the point that he had been with our organization for most of his career. I still think of Lara as Dr. Zhivago's sweetie,
Must have been a glitch saving the file today. The part about Parker being replaced is missing. If anyone here thought there was unrest from the last game, you should have seen the twitter feeds. Pure fury.
Think everyone needs to keep in mind that everyone and their mother needs left hand relievers right now. It’s not exclusive to this team. And before all the “we had a perfectly good one in Jose A. Ferrer,” please look past his ERA. 2.10 ERA vs a 3.23 FIP. Strikeouts are down, walks are up, groundball rate is down. He’s a decent regression candidate.
Glad to see Blake letting the righties bat against RHP. Wonder why Vivas is playing over Nunez? Thinking they’re going to need offense more than defense at least to begin with?
Wonder if we will have to see Cal Raleigh at all this series? He’s doing well in AAA with his rehab.
Just curious if you would like to? He was surprisingly ineffective this year, so if he is up - that is the version I would want to see… But he is overdue to break out.
Yeah, he’s had a horrible year. SSS but he looks like he’s getting it together in AAA after his injury. Only two games but he’s thrown out a 429/.500/1.714/2.214 slash line in those two games. 😂 I’m sure that’s exciting the Mariner fans.
That sounds like he is on his way back.
Guessing here since nobody knows how fast/slow he'll progress, but sounds like maybe we could see Herz shortly after All-Star break?
That would be great, especially if we trade Griffin and/or Littell.
Great content, Mark. Thank you, can only get it here! The lack of a bullpen move is strange. Team obviously has more faith in Schultz and Parker than we readers do! Really surprised Poulin isn’t up. Hopefully no rain tonight!!
Yeah, pretty weird.
I don't suppose I will ever understand baseball personnel decisions. So I am not being critical, only asking if someone can explain to me what the circumstances are that would motivate a team to DFA a relief pitcher putting up quite respectable numbers at Triple A in order to sign another relief pitcher who has nothing but horrible numbers at Double A on his record.
It’s got to be an age thing.
Age is one. The other is that Lara has a higher ceiling. He was the Braves #16 ranked prospect earlier this year. Here’s the scouting report from MLB.com:
In many ways, Lara is already a success story. He signed for just $10,000 in June 2021 at age 18. Since then, he’s risen through the system, coming to the United States in 2023, reaching Double-A in '24, then hitting Triple-A in '25, missing bats -- and the strike zone -- along the way. He was added to the 40-man roster and recalled to the big leagues in September last year, but didn’t appear in a game.
A 6-foot-3 right-hander, Lara has a huge arm, one the Braves were developing as a starter until last year, when he got more work out of the bullpen for the first time in his career. Lara features premium velocity with his fastball, especially out of the 'pen, averaging over 98 mph and topping out at 102 with the heater. But it’s his slider that’s the better of his two-pitch mix, a nasty, hard upper-80s breaker that misses bats at a very high rate.
What kind of role Lara might fill will come down to how many strikes he can throw. He’s walked 6.6 per nine in his career, a rate that spiked to 8.5 per nine in 2025, and was even worse during his Arizona Fall League stint. His swing-and-miss stuff is legit (career 12.0 K/9 rate) and if he can find the zone a bit more consistently, he could carve out a slider-led Camilo Doval-like career in the back end of a big league 'pen.
Thank you for that remarkably detailed information about Mr. Lara. I had missed the point that he had been with our organization for most of his career. I still think of Lara as Dr. Zhivago's sweetie,
Bingo!!
Must have been a glitch saving the file today. The part about Parker being replaced is missing. If anyone here thought there was unrest from the last game, you should have seen the twitter feeds. Pure fury.
I’ve always felt bad after waving my pitchfork.
Don’t- it is part of being a fan. Especially when it is all so predictable.
Frustration, understandably. Me too, especially the Parker part.
I am big believer in Einstein’s saying that doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results is crazy…
I wonder whether potential weather delays and slick conditions deterred bringing in new bullpen arms (for tonight, at least).
Think everyone needs to keep in mind that everyone and their mother needs left hand relievers right now. It’s not exclusive to this team. And before all the “we had a perfectly good one in Jose A. Ferrer,” please look past his ERA. 2.10 ERA vs a 3.23 FIP. Strikeouts are down, walks are up, groundball rate is down. He’s a decent regression candidate.
Glad to see Blake letting the righties bat against RHP. Wonder why Vivas is playing over Nunez? Thinking they’re going to need offense more than defense at least to begin with?
The start of the game is officially delayed.
It’s getting late early. What’s up there? At least we have CWS and Rochester.
This is a nice change from MASN’s endless reruns of games from the past.
Time for another series opening CURLY W!! Just saying. GO NATS!!
Rochester during the delay? Yes, please!!
Lara is all over the place in the first. Yikes.
He is not good. And seeing the minors pitching is a good reminder about leap in quality (usually) that batters see in the majors.
Watching the Rochester game where the “old” Lara, still only 23, is pitching. Seaver King is not playing.
Love seeing our AAA Nats live
Just checked in and see we're in delay.
Not surprised as I've got dark skies in 3 directions.
Just announced: First pitch at 8:55 p.m.
Perfect timing - just finished my gig, and I’ll be listening on my way home. 👍🏻
Maybe you should have played a few encores.
Got home and out of my car in the 2nd at 0-0, but 2 on, 0 outs. By the time I got in my place and unloaded my gear, it was 5-0.