Signed to a one-year, $14.1 million contract on March 12, right-hander Ervin Santana will make his Braves debut Wednesday against the Mets in Atlanta.
Santana wasn’t ready to begin the season in the Braves’ rotation because he reported to spring training late and needed time to build up his normal arm strength, so instead he made a minor-league start Friday at Triple-A and allowed six runs in 5.1 innings.
Santana was one of the best pitchers in the league last season for the Royals, throwing 211 innings with a 3.24 ERA at age 30, but teams were unwilling to give him a huge long-term contract as a free agent in part because signing him also required forfeiting a draft pick. His inconsistent track record also played a part, as Santana had an ERA above 5.00 in 2012 and 2009, but Atlanta’s hand was forced by multiple injuries to the rotation.