Braves' Brian Snitker asks Dominican Republic to 'take it easy'

The Atlanta Braves will take on Team Dominican Republic on Wednesday. The Dominican Republic is currently preparing for the World Baseball Classic with no shortage of heavy hitters in their stacked lineup. Meanwhile, Snitker is looking to get young pitchers innings during Spring Training. As a result, Snitker hilariously asked Dominican Republic manager Rodney Linares to “take it easy” on the Braves, per Marly Rivera.

#Braves manager Brian Snitker joked around with DR Manager Rodney Linares to “take it easy” on the young pitchers he’ll have on the mound today… DR lineup is just STACKED. pic.twitter.com/08kRQLF22h

— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) March 8, 2023

It is difficult to blame the Braves’ manager for his request after taking one look at that lineup. When stars such as Willy Adames and Jeremy Pena are hitting at the bottom of the order, pitchers are fully aware that they may in line for a difficult outing.

2023 World Baseball Classic

The 2023 World Baseball Classic recently got underway, with Netherlands winning the opener against Cuba. Team Dominican Republic will get things started in the WBC on Saturday versus Venezuela in what projects to be a competitive affair. Both teams have plenty of respected talent, but the DR will remain confident nonetheless. After all, they are the betting favorite heading into the tournament.

However, Team USA and Team Japan are right behind the Dominican Republic from an odds standpoint. Venezuela is the next closest team and could give the DR some trouble on Saturday. The Dominican team cannot afford to take them for granted.

For now, the Dominican Republic will focus on taking care of business against the Braves in this exhibition game. First pitch is scheduled for Wednesday, March 8th at 1:05 PM EST in Florida.