Joe Jimnez's return to the mound finally arrived on Tuesday night. The Atlanta Braves ' right-hander came to pitch the fifth inning for Triple-A Gwinnett and settled in after walking the first batter on four pitches.
He retired the following three batters in a row to end the inning. A ground ball to short, a pop up to the catcher and lineout to second base all got the job done.
For those curious, he averaged 92.6 mph on his fastball and topped out at 93.6 mph. He mainly showed the heater, representing 15 of the 19 pitches he threw. He had two whiffs, one from the fastball and another from the slider.
Most of the time, some of these stats would be further put under a microscope to determine where he stands. This time around, it's all a victory for him. You can argue all of this is better than most could expect from someone who hadn't pitched in two years .
None of this was guaranteed.
"It's a feel-good moment for all of us," manager Walt Weiss, who was the team's bench coach when Jimnez last pitched.
Manager Walt Weiss said ahead of Tuesday's game against the Cubs that Jimnez had cleared enough hurdles to get his chance. Based on what else he had to say, he didn't just make it over. He cleared it with ease.
"I couldn't believe how well he was throwing the ball when we saw him throwing the other day in live BP," Walt Weiss said on Tuesday afternoon.
Weiss added that other procedures on his knee, following the major one that came after the 2024 season, played a role in giving him the path to Tuesday.
Given the cicumstances, the follow up to the live batting practice is nothing short of noteworthy. It doesn't matter if it was in a minor league game. To come back and immediately fine a way to pitch a scoreless inning should leave him feeling over the moon.
A major league appearance this season is more or less out of the question. The expectation is that once the Triple-A season ends, he'll head down to North Port, Fla., to keep throwing at the complex.
But getting to this point bodes well for what the next season can bring for him. He'll be a free agent this winter. Having pitch in live games will give him something to work with when he makes his case to either the Braves to re-sign him or another team to decide on giving him a chance.
Having a normal offseason of preperation followed by getting to participate in spring training could mean he's major league ready in 2027. One step at a time, but it's a least a conversation that can be had.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/braves/onsi as Joe Jimnez Gets Long-Awaited Night in Braves Rehab Outing .
