NL DIVISION SERIES: PHILLIES VS BRAVES

October 13, 2022

Brian Snitker

Citizen's Bank Park

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Do you have a Game 3 starter yet?

BRIAN SNITKER: Nope.

Q. If you would start Strider tomorrow and you have to dip into your bullpen, what's the concern there of going, taxing your bullpen while playing the first of three consecutive days?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yeah, I know. That's kind of like why we're still in discussion of what we're going to do because we're weighing all those variables in everything.

There's, I guess, pros and cons for both ways. I don't know that there's a right or wrong way. That's one of the reasons why we're still discussing it because we're, even this afternoon we're going to go over all those different scenarios.

Q. How is Ronald feeling today?

BRIAN SNITKER: I don't know. I haven't seen him. I'm sure he's fine.

Q. Can you take us a little bit inside, as much as you can, into how you guys go through those scenarios to figure out the best plan for each day while looking at the rest of the series, if that makes sense?

BRIAN SNITKER: Not really. It's just what we do. We discuss a lot of different options and different scenarios. It's complicated but isn't. Like I say, we just want to weigh everything -- best case, worst-case scenarios, things like that, I guess. Just discuss it and get everybody's opinion. I think it's just good because it's an important thing here.

So we'll just continue to have discussions in different scenarios. And pretty much things like that.

Q. I know you're still trying to figure out all the usages there, but are you still planning on using Strider at some point in this series in some capacity?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, no, we're going to use him. We're going to use him. It's just about -- that's probably the biggest discussion, is how we're going to use this kid for our best advantage, really. We're going to use him, yeah.

Q. I have a general Charlie Morton question. He's a guy who's known for adapting in a big way over the course of his career to get to where he is at age 38. I'm sure you've seen lots of pitchers make changes over the years. What impresses you about the way he's gone about, in his time with you, just being open to adapting?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, I'm just amazed by Charlie all the time. With all the innings he's logged, with everything he's been through and how that ball just keeps coming out of his hands just blows me away.

His stuff doesn't ever -- it's always just like that ability to spin that curveball and the way the ball jumps out of his hands.

I have so much respect for Major League players generally, but guys like Charlie and those guys that have done it a long time, the consistency with which their work ethic, how they approach the game, I'm just continually in amazement of a Major League player. And especially guys with the long careers and how Charlie just keeps that even keel, consistent in his work, just keeps those competitive juices going. It's very impressive to me. I'm a big Charlie Morton fan.

Q. I know you said Ozzie is going to travel with you guys. Any updates on him?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, more so because our training staff wants to keep their hands on him, instead of leaving him behind. We have a great physical therapy and all that, that they'll handle guys that stay back. But I know George and his guys just want to keep their hands on Ozzie at this point in time in his ascent back.

Q. We just talked to A.J. a second ago. I asked him to sort of evaluate last year's group in the bullpen versus this year's. And he felt like one of the biggest differences is they've been good from start to finish this year -- great, not just good. And last year he said we kind of kicked it in in the second half. What do you think has made that group so good and for I guess unique throughout the entirety of the season?

BRIAN SNITKER: I think it's still another one of those experience type things, and another year under their belt and experiencing all this. And going through what they went through the last couple of years, whether getting to Game 7 of the NLCS or advancing as a World Champion and those experiences.

Collin McHugh has been a huge part of this. He's a guy, when we brought him in, we saw that Swiss Army knife guy, and he's filled a lot of different roles. And I think he's been a really big X factor in this bullpen as far as the depth of it.

Q. Do you feel like Charlie has pitched better than, say, his ERA and some numbers are? Like, Alex mentioned, stuff-wise, velocity-wise, strikeout-to-walk ratio, there's many similarities from last year, maybe a little bit unlucky with homers. Anything you've seen, eye test-wise, watching this year?

BRIAN SNITKER: The stuff has always been there. I've said this a couple times. I think probably of anybody, Charlie missed -- he needed a full spring training I think. I think he got kind of a slow start. He didn't have a normal offseason because he was rehabbing that leg that he got hit in the World Series.

And I think missing those last three starts kind of hurt him starting out and it took him a while to get everything flowing and rhythm and the whole thing because even, he kind of had a little bit of a slow start. But the ball was coming out great. It was like the fine tuning-type things you get in spring training and he didn't have that thing. And I think that kind of hurt him.

Q. How much has Strider been able to throw in the bullpen? Has he been able to do any up, down, simulate any game scenarios?

BRIAN SNITKER: No, he's just kind of pretty much -- because we've never known, honestly because he was available last night. If something would have happened last night and we went extra innings or whatever, he was going to be up.

So you had to be careful of too much, I think, but he's had full-bore bullpen, actually one and a half or whatever. It's as good as we can do right now under the circumstances.

And I think we feel comfortable where he is at health-wise and all. And whenever we decide to put him out there, that was going to be remain to be seen, whether the lay-off affected him or not.

Q. Is he someone that you personally have to temper as well with how much he's itching to get out?

BRIAN SNITKER: Yes, he's very much that, that's for sure. He wants to pitch. He would pitch today if we let him.

But he feels good and wants to be a part, which is great. That's what makes him good. But we're confident. I think, physically he's where he needs to be. Like I say, under the circumstances, with the timelines and all that stuff, but we feel good about him physically.