The Braves former fifth starter Kenshin Kawakami has been called up to be the long reliever after Cristhian Martinez has thrown six innings over the past three games. Martinez pitched brilliantly yesterday, giving the Braves a chance to come back and win the game. Cristhian will be back when September call-ups arrive.
Kawakami pitched to a 4.29 ERA over five triple-A starts. The Braves starter has had some success in his first two years in America but could not get many wins, due to the Braves bats seldom supplying him any run support. This is not a groundbreaking move, but it is wise since Martinez likely needs some rest and Kenshin can pitch multiple innings per outing.