KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Braves are finding that former closer Billy Wagner isn’t easy to replace.
So they won’t try to do it with just one person.
Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel will enter the season sharing the closer’s job.
“In a perfect world, you’d like to name one guy, but I can’t sit here and say May 15 is going to be the day or June 20,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said Tuesday. “Maybe we’ll go the whole way. It’s not a bad thing.”
Neither the left-handed Venters nor the right-handed Kimbrel started last season in the majors, so they don’t have much experience. But both showed great promise and the bullpen again appears to be a plus despite Wagner’s retirement.
“Craig’s got a crazy arm and I expect he’ll be running out there for the ninth most times,” Venters said. “But if they stick me in there, I’m comfortable with it. I feel good about it. I feel like I have a good mentality for it.”
Sizemore plays the field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore took another step in his recovery from microfracture surgery on his left knee in June, playing the field for the first time in Cleveland’s 7-3 win over Arizona.
“It felt good to be back on the field, get out there and get as much work as I can,” Sizemore said.
Sizemore, who was 0-for-2 with a strikeout, is not expected to be ready for opening day.
Footnotes.
Mets pitcher Jason Isringhausen resumed throwing after being sidelined three days with inflammation in his right elbow.
• Scott Baker will be the Twins’ fifth starter.
• Will Rhymes will be Detroit’s opening-day second baseman.
• The Mariners announced Brendan Ryan will be their shortstop and Jack Wilson will move to second.
The Associated Press
