Braves' Necomb replaces Colon for start against Giants

ATLANTA -- Promising rookie Sean Newcomb -- not struggling veteran Bartolo Colon -- will start for the Atlanta Braves against the San Francisco Giants in the third game of the four-game series Wednesday night at SunTrust Park.

Colon was slated to come off the 10-day disabled list and rejoin the rotation, but that changed when the 44-year-old experienced back tightness during a bullpen session Monday.

"He tried to throw and it didn't go very good," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "It's kind of best, I think, if we hold off on him for a while."

Colon, who has 235 career victories, went on the DL with a left oblique strain June 6 after the right-hander fell to 2-7 with a 7.78 ERA, which is the worst among regular major league starters.

Snitker said the back stiffness was unrelated to the oblique issue.

"We told him we don't need you to go out there until you're ready to go," the manager said.

Colon had a 10.03 ERA and .380 opponents' average in his last eight starts before going on the DL.

In contrast, Newcomb (0-2, 2.19 ERA) has given up just three earned runs over 12 1/3 innings in his first two major league starts.

The Braves had planned to temporarily go with a six-man rotation with Colon's return, so Newcomb will be starting on regular rest. The 23-year-old left-hander had been slotted to pitch the series finale Thursday against the Giants.

Newcomb will be opposed by right-hander Jeff Samardzija (2-9, 4.81 ERA).

Samardzija hit his third career homer, a 448-foot blast, at Colorado in his most recent start, but gave up a season-worst eight runs in the loss.

The right-hander, who didn't face the Braves when they played at San Francisco in May, has a 1-5 record and 5.13 ERA on the road. He is 3-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 12 career games (six starts) against Atlanta.

With their bullpen struggling and shorthanded without the suspended Hunter Strickland, the Giants need Samardzija to go as far as he can against the Braves.

Continuing their poor work from Colorado, three relievers gave up seven runs in the eighth inning of a 9-0 loss to the Braves in the series opener Monday and that prompted a roster move Tuesday.

Derek Law, expected to be a key part of the bullpen, was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento after not getting an out and giving up four runs on five hits, including a homer, and a walk.

Law gave up 12 runs on 20 hits, including four homers, in 8 2/3 innings over his last nine appearances.

"We've got to get him right," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Sometimes a guy needs a mental break or a physical break. It's getting confidence back as much as anything. Hopefully we get him back here before long."

The bullpen as a whole got a confidence boost in Tuesday's 6-3 victory over the Braves that snapped a seven-game losing streak. Four relievers allowed just one inherited runner to score after a meltdown the previous night.

Third baseman Eduardo Nunez, who underwent an MRI, was out of the San Francisco lineup for the fourth time in five days Tuesday as he continues to deal with a tight hamstring.

Nunez's 30-game on-base streak is the longest active in the majors.