Gohara may slide into bullpen role upon return, per report

Exciting prospect pitcher Luiz Gohara is set to return from Brazil tomorrow — he spent some time in the Southern Hemisphere to be with his mother after surgery. According to Mark Bowman, Gohara will throw a side session upon his return, and then might be ticketed for the bullpen.

Gohara has served as both a starter and reliever already this season. He made three appearances out of the bullpen in mid-May spanning six total innings before making a start last Wednesday, after which he headed off the bereavement list and Brazil. He’s allowed three runs in 11 innings this season with a 11/6 K/BB ratio, a 2.45 ERA, and a 3.94 FIP.

Widely projected to be one the team’s best starters, Gohara suffered some injury woes in Spring Training and spent a few starts in the minors getting back up to speed. While the Braves appear to be ready to give him a spot on the major league roster in earnest, he may be used as a multi-inning relief option as the rotation picture clarifies itself and he builds up his own stamina to be able to pitch more deeply into games. The Braves actually have a fair bit of offdays in June (they are off one day in each week), so with decent health from their starting pitchers, Gohara may either ascend to the fifth starter spot currently held by Anibal Sanchez (until Mike Soroka’s return), or continue to work in relief. Stay tuned for updates.