ATLANTA—Good news coming in, bad news coming out.
On Saturday, the Atlanta Braves quietly celebrated the sight of rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) running the bases in a private workout. They also returned pitcher Julio Teheran to the active roster (jammed thumb).
A few hours later, though, the club executed the deflating task of putting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz on the 10-day disabled list.
It's too early to know whether Foltynewicz's DL stint (triceps issue) represents a precautionary measure ... or prelude to more substantive arm worries.
In his Tuesday start, Foltynewicz was removed after five incident-free innings, upon notifying Braves pitching coach Chuck Hernandez of arm discomfort, which apparently traces back to the right-hander's June 6 start vs. the Padres.
"I kind of had this tightness after my last start, really. We've been working it out," Foltynewicz told local reporters on Tuesday. "There were a couple times in the fourth and fifth (innings) when I was kind of tweaking my mechanics, and I had to get through it, even though it wasn't really sore."
In some cases with pitchers, triceps injuries become a precursor to elbow problems, sometimes of the major variety.
The Braves (40-29, 1 1/2-game lead) may be stacked with solid starting pitching, both in the major and minor leagues; but an extended-time Foltynewicz absence could hinder Atlanta's chances of winning the National League East title.
Through mid-June, the 26-year-old pitcher makes a great case for being the Braves' go-to ace:
**Foltynewicz's seasonal rates for ERA (2.16), K/BB (2.84) and K/9 (10.8) are elite-level class.
**The Minooka, Ill. native owns a top-12 FIP among major-league starting pitchers (2.97).
**And of his 14 seasonal starts, Foltynewicz has absurdly notched 13 outings of two or fewer runs allowed.