Veteran Collmenter steps up after long absence

ATLANTA — Two weeks ago, after making his final appearance of the season with Triple-A Iowa, Josh Collmenter could have doubted if he’d pitch in another professional game this year.

But on Saturday afternoon at Turner Field, Collmenter stood on a Major League mound for the first time in nearly two months, facing one of the best lineups in baseball in the Nationals. Such a draw could have intimidated the 30-year-old. But he was prepared.

Just three days removed from being traded by the Cubs to the Braves, Collmenter shined in his Atlanta debut, allowing two runs across five innings in a 7-3 win over Washington.

“You never know [when an opportunity might come along], but you hear about quarterbacks sitting on the couch, and next thing they get the call,” said Collmenter, who matched his career high with eight strikeouts. “Obviously, it’s happened before, so I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to come here with Atlanta and pitch a couple of times down the stretch.”

But at first, it appeared as if his inaugural outing with the …

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