ff."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Talking Chop User’s GuideTalking Chop PodcastAround the NL EastBaseball Analysis PrimerBraves option Sean Newcomb to Gwinnett Ben Gamel Jersey , place Arodys Vizcaino on injured listNew,298commentsBraves make several changes to pitching staff.EDTShareTweetShareShareBraves option Sean Newcomb to Gwinnett, place Arodys Vizcaino on injured listJason Getz-USA TODAY SportsThe Atlanta Braves announced several transactions prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Mets. The team optioned left-hander Sean Newcomb to Triple-A Gwinnett following Saturday’s game and also placed closer Arodys Vizcaino on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his right shoulder. The recalled right-handers Jacob Webb and Dan Winkler from Gwinnett to take their place on the active roster. Newcomb lasted just 1 1/3 innings in Saturday’s start allowing five hits and four runs to go along with two walks. He’s now allowed 15 hits and eight walks in just 12 1/3 innings this season. He has struggled to miss bats since the spring and will now head to Triple-A to work on things. Touki Toussaint will likely take his place in the rotation. Vizcaino has appeared in four games this season allowing three hits, three walks and one run while striking out six in four innings. He hasn’t pitched since April 7 against the Marlins when he allowed a game-tying home run to Curtis Granderson in the ninth. Both Winkler and Webb began the season with Gwinnett. Winkler hasn’t allowed a run in three appearances. He appeared in 69 games out of the bullpen in 2018. This will be Webb’s first appearance on the major league roster. He has allowed one run and struck out five over four innings for the Stripers. TOKYO (AP) — Before he pursues a career in Major League Baseball http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-edgar-martinez-jersey , Japanese slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugo is on a mission to fix the sport in his native country, including the abolishment of what he says is corporal punishment and grueling practices.Tsutsugo said after the 2018 season that he wants to play for an MLB team in the future. He will be eligible for international free agency in 2021 after 11 seasons with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.Having already signed a contract to play for Yokohama in 2019, the 27-year-old outfielder could go as early as 2020 via the posting system.“My wish is to go to MLB someday,” Tsutsugo said on Friday at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan. “But for the time being I’m focused on helping Yokohama win a championship.”Tsutsugo’s priorities off the field are focused on improving Japanese baseball at the grass-roots level. He’s written a book on the subject and spoke at length about it at Friday’s press conference.Marathon pitching efforts Mitch Haniger Jersey , grueling practices and even corporal punishment are all too common in Japanese amateur baseball and Tsutsugo says it all needs to change to keep the sport growing in Japan. Baseball is still Japan’s most popular sport but recent numbers show high school participation is declining.“I’ve seen cases where coaches scream at kids and even become violent,” Tsutsugo said. “Coaches and children need to respect each other in order for children to make progress.”Noting there were pitch counts when he represented Japan at the World Baseball Classic, Tsutsugo said he’d like to see rules making pitch counts mandatory at all levels of Japanese baseballFormer Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was the poster boy for marathon pitching in his high school days. In the quarterfinal of the 1998 Koshien summer tournament, Dice-K threw 250 pitches in a 17-inning performance. That followed a 148-pitch complete-game shutout the previous day in extreme heat.In addition to Matsuzaka http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-edgar-martinez-jersey , Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani also came through the Japanese high school baseball system only to have arm injuries in their professional careers.But change comes slow in Japanese baseball. Nothing appeals more to fans of the high school tournament than an ace pitcher throwing a complete game.“Change would be very difficult,” said one amateur Japanese baseball official requesting anonymity. “A lot of what goes on is an inherent part of Japanese culture.”Tsutsugo says he knows change is hard but says it’s the only way forward.“You have to think about the future of the children,” Tsutsugo said. “That’s the bottom line.”In 2016, Tsutsugo led the Central League in home runs (44) and RBIs (110) and helped the BayStars reach the postseason. He is a four-time All-Star and three-time Best Nine winner.This past season Alex Colome Jersey , Tsutsugo hit .295 with 38 home runs and 89 RBIs. Over nine seasons and 837 games with DeNA, he has a .287 batting average with 176 homers and 534 RBIs.Also on the horizon are the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. With his impressive numbers at the plate, Tsutsugo is a leading candidate to represent the host nation when baseball makes its return to the games.