Braves' Chris Sale name drops Atlanta's versatile bullpen 'secret weapon' after strong start

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Braves' Chris Sale name drops Atlanta's versatile bullpen 'secret weapon' after strong start originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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The Atlanta Braves are currently the best team in baseball with 43 wins after beating the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Atlanta has had several players step up in big roles throughout this season as they continue to battle injuries.

One name that has been surprising this early in the season is Didier Fuentes, who is just 20 years old. Braves manager Walt Weiss has him coming out of the bullpen, and even though he is a starter, there is value in using him out of the pen.

“He could be in the minor leagues developing as a starter. There would be some value there, too. But you know, you've heard me say that I do believe there's some value in your starters working out of the bullpen," Weiss said. "There's a lot of value to that. So, I think we're seeing that with Didi.”

After Fuentes’ outing on Thursday, Chris Sale had nothing but praise for the young, electric right-hander.

“His stuff is a lot of fun to watch. It’s pure electricity coming out of that right arm. A lot of confidence in him. I think moving forward he’s only doing himself a lot of favors, maybe even getting back into the rotation,” Sale said.

Sale appeared on 680 The Fan on Friday, and he continued to rave about Fuentes. He mentioned that Fuentes has become the Braves’ secret bullpen weapon due to his versatility.

“The versatility that Didi brings for that bullpen, he can throw one out and get the most important out of the game. He can cover three innings and bridge the gap to get it to Iggy. He's kind of that secret weapon no one's really talking about,” Sale said.

The biggest issue for Fuentes as a starter was his control, but out of the bullpen he has been lights out. He is also flexible, as he can give the Braves multiple innings or just one when needed.

Fuentes is young and has embraced his role, competing in whatever position gives the Braves the best chance to win. For Fuentes to be getting praise from veterans like Sale shows that his career is trending in the right direction.

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