Mike Foltynewicz key for Atlanta Braves this season
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Mike Foltynewicz likely will be in Atlanta's rotation at some point this season. It might be April 12, when the Braves need a fifth starter, or it might be later.
But when Foltynewicz comes back, it will be quite a story.
Late last season, Foltynewicz had a scare. It wasn't the normal medical issue that causes a pitcher to worry about the future. It wasn't the elbow or the shoulder.
It was a blood clot.
Foltynewicz explained Monday what happened when he said, "One day I walked into the clubhouse, and my (right) arm was two or three times the size of my left arm. I showed the trainer, and he said, 'Let's get to the hospital right now.' "
Thankfully, doctors found the clot and performed surgery before something serious happened.
Foltynewicz had a different offseason. He had to first rest and then rebuild his strength. He's a bit behind the other pitchers in spring training, but the Braves are trying to catch him up. They need a flame-thrower, and Foltynewicz can fill the role.
Foltynewicz, or "Folty" as he is known, is in a bit of a pitcher's purgatory. He throws hard, but his command is sometimes shaky. So while Foltynewicz has mainly been a starting pitcher, including last year in Atlanta, there's a curiosity of what his fastball would do out of the bullpen if he can't make it in a rotation.
That should only be a last resort. Last season, Foltynewicz showed why the Braves should give him every chance possible before moving him to the bullpen, even though it's mighty tempting to wonder how he might look as like a tall closer with a blazing fastball.
Foltynewicz is able to maintain his velocity deep into starts. That's something not many pitchers can do on a regular basis. Most lose velocity on the fastball, but not Foltynewicz. The starting pitchers who can do that have a great chance to be successful.
Another thing Foltynewicz must conquer this season is his confidence. Last season, he learned several things about himself when he made 15 starts in Atlanta.
"I'm hard on myself," he said. "I just want to do well every time. But that's not baseball. That's not how life is going to be. I just realized that I wasn't as confident as I should have been, also. After all this stuff happened, it really opened up my eyes that when I'd go out there and something happened I'd be like, 'Dang,' instead of being fired up, saying, 'Let's go. Let's get going.'
"I'm as confident as ever. I came into spring training confident and comfortable but not too comfortable where I'm just going to roll with the punches. I'm determined. I've talked to the veteran guys, and they've told me to go out there with an attitude to dominate and to not just go out there and get guys out. I'm very excited."
That's what the Braves want to hear. They know he has the stuff. If Foltynewicz is healthy, the sky's the limit. He's a power pitcher the Atlanta rotation needs, just like John Smoltz complemented Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine for years in the 1990s.
But unlike Smoltz, maybe Foltynewicz won't have to move to the bullpen any time soon. With his new determination and no more blood clots, Foltynewicz might be a critical piece to Atlanta's rebuilding puzzle.
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This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Mike Foltynewicz key for Atlanta Braves this season ."