Smoltz Out After 5

Written by Jonathan on April 6, 2008 – 8:35 pm

John Smoltz was activated from the disabled list today to make his start against the Mets this afternoon.  Smoltz had been on the 15-day DL with some soreness between his neck and his right shoulder dating back into preseason play.  He looked solid from the mound today, striking out 6 in 5 innings of 2-hit, scoreless work.  Smoltz left the game before the 6th inning, throwing 78 pitches on the day.

As we found out at the end of the game today, Smoltz experienced some of the same pain and tightness that originally placed him on the disabled list while warming up before the 5th inning.  He pitched through the inning and left the game after talking to Bobby Cox about the issue.  It’s just too early in the season to risk losing Smoltz for an extended period of time.   In a postgame interview, Smoltz said he was confident that he’d be back on the mound without missing a start.

In related news, to make room for Smoltz back on the active roster, Jo-Jo Reyes was optioned back to AAA Richmond.  Reyes was brought up to fill the roster spot vacated by Mike Hampton being placed on the 15-day DL.

Hopefully we’ll see Smoltz make his scheduled start on Friday to open the series against the Washington Nationals.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about the condition of his shoulder as the week goes on.

Tags: Injury, Jo-Jo Reyes, John Smoltz
Posted in Injuries, Roster Moves |