Braves again give Sean Newcomb extra day of rest

Sean Newcomb has excelled with an extra day’s rest, so the Braves will continue to accommodate.

Manager Brian Snitker said Wednesday that the Braves would switch Julio Teheran and Sean Newcomb this weekend in Boston.

Teheran will start in the series opener Friday, with Newcomb going the next day against his native state’s team. Mike Foltynewicz will pitch the finale.

The Braves are off Thursday, giving them a brief break between the Phillies-Red Sox gauntlet of a road trip.

Newcomb, 24, has made seven of nine starts with an extra day of rest. He’s 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA in those games.

“The extra days have been good for him,” Snitker said.

Snitker previously said that whenever the team has a chance to provide extra rest, it will, because of the longevity of the season and the way pitchers are handled today.

Newcomb has allowed one run across his past four starts (25 innings). He has struck out 24 and walked 10 in those May outings.

After an erratic rookie season, Newcomb has taken a step forward that maybe the optimist didn’t expect. He’s pitched to a 2.39 ERA with 58 strikeouts against 24 walks in 52-2/3 innings, becoming the Braves’ best starter in the process.