Campillo to DL, Injury Updates

Written by Jonathan on April 17, 2009 – 7:42 am

The Braves have struggled in the past couple of seasons keeping people healthy and playing and the 2009 season looks like it’s not getting off to much different of a start.  There has been a good bit of injury-related news for the Braves in the last 24 hours so we figured a quick update was in store:

Jorge Campillo is the first of the Braves pitching staff (a pitching staff that is all too familiar with the DL, mind you) to make a trip to the disabled list since the start of the season.  After yesterday’s game against the Marlins, it was announced that Campillo will be placed on the DL with right shoulder fatigue.  He has complained of having a “dead arm” since pitching for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic and playing winter ball.  The outlook for Campillo is a little vague right now and he will be evaluated over the next couple of days.  James Parr will be called up from Gwinnett to replace Campillo on the roster.

Yunel Escobar came up lame in yesterday’s game while running out a grounder to first base.  The injury however, a strained abdominal muscle, happened while he was warming up in the on-deck circle.  Braves fans are accustomed to seeing Yunel jumping up and down in the on-deck circle before heading to the plate, which apparently was the cause of the injury.  I’m sure he won’t stop doing it however.  The Braves think it may be three or four games before Yunel is back in the lineup, despite Escobar’s confidence that he could play tonight against Pittsburgh.

Chipper Jones continues to battle the bruised left thumb that has kept him out of the last two games.  He reaggravated the injury while getting jammed against the Marlins on Tuesday.  He is expected to miss tonight’s game against the Pirates, but could be back in the lineup Saturday.  The thumb only bothers him on his left-handed swing.  His play on Sunday will be dependent on how he feels as the Pirates will be sending right-handed Zach Duke to the mound.

David Ross was activated from the disabled list before yesterday’s game and took the start in place of Brian McCann behind the plate.  Don’t worry though, Braves fans, it was just a regularly scheduled off-day for Mac.  Clint Sammons was optioned to AAA to make room on the roster for Ross.  He had been on the DL since straining a groin muscle in a March 31st preseason game.  Ross gives the Braves a little bit of power in the backup catcher role and he should be a good fill-in for the days when McCann needs to be rested.

So the left side of the infield is a little battered and bruised aready, with Chipper and Yunel both missing time, but the Braves aren’t expected to call up another infielder. Infante and Prado are quite capable and handling the load and we should see the starters back in the lineup soon.  Let’s just hope this is nothing serious for Campillo and that he recovers quickly.  I don’t want the pitching staff to start getting too familiar with being injured yet again.


Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Injuries | No Comments »

Kawakami Tries To Avoid Sweep

Written by Jonathan on April 16, 2009 – 11:12 am

After two rough beatings by the Marlins, the Braves are looking for Kenshin Kawakami to steer them past the potential sweep in today’s afternoon game to end the homestand.  Kawakami took the win in his first outing of the season behind a 3-run, 4-hit performance where he struck out 8 in 6 innings of work.  Hopefully that was the confidence booster he needed after a rough outing in the exhibition game at Turner Field before the season kicked off.

The Braves will have to produce runs without Chipper Jones and Brian McCann in the lineup today.  Chipper is still nursing the bruised thumb that was reaggravated during Tuesday’s game.  Omar Infante will take the start at third.  David Ross will be filling in for Brian McCann.  Ross was activated off of the disabled list and took the place of Clint Sammons on the roster, who was sent back to AAA Gwinnett.

After two rough games, the Braves are looking to avoid the sweep and get out of town on a high note to kick off the road trip.  Stick with us for in-game updates.

Bottom 9th:
Nunez on to pitch for the Marlins.
- Ross singles.
- Brian McCann pops out. Double play. 2 out.
- Johnson grounds out. 3 out.
Final: 6-2 Marlins

Top 9th:
Jorge Campillo on to pitch for the Braves.
- Gload triples to center.
- Bonifacio strikes out. 1 out.
- Amezaga singles. Gload scores. 6-2 Marlins.
- Amezaga thrown out trying to steal second. 2 out.
- Ramirez flies out to second. 3 out.

Bottom 8th:
Nunez on to pitch for the Marlins.
- Kotchman lines out to first. 1 out.
- Francoeur strikes out swinging. 2 out.
- Schafer strikes out…..again. 3 out.

Top 8th:
- Cantu strikes out. 1 out.
- Uggla singles to left.
- Hermida strikes out looking. 2 out.
- Ross singles to center. Uggla to center.
- Paulino grounds into a force out. 3 out.

Bottom 7th:
Calero on to pitch for the Marlins.
- Infante pops out to right. 1 out.
- Prado flies out to left. 2 out.
Meyer on to pitch.
- Anderson flies out to center. 3 out.

Top 7th:
Jeff Bennett in to pitch.
- Bonifacio grounds out to third. 1 out.
- Amezaga grounds out to second. 2 out.
- Ramirez flies out to right. 3 out.
Good to see a 1-2-3 from the bullpen.

Bottom 6th:
- Ross flies out to right. 1 out.
- Norton flies out to right. 2 out.
- Johnson grounds out first. 3 out.

Top 6th:
- Uggla walks.
- Hermida triples to center. Uggla scores. 4-2 Marlins.
- Ross sac fly to center. Schafer’s throw off-line. 1 out. 5-2 Marlins.
- Paulino grounds out to third. 2 out.
- Sanchez grounds out to second. 3 out.
At 109 pitches and the pitcher spot up in the inning, I’d say Kawakami’s done.

Bottom 5th:
- Infante flies out to center. 1 out.
- Escobar grounds out to short. 2 out.
- Anderson doubles to right.
- Kotchman singles.
- Francoeur doubles to center. Anderson scores. 3-2 Marlins.
- Schafer strikes out. 3 out.
Jordan needs to get all the check swings under control.

Top 5th:
- Amezaga strikes out. 1 out.
- Ramirez strikes out. 2 out.
- Cantu strikes out. 3 out.
Great inning for Kawakami. 7 Ks on the day.

Bottom 4th:
- Ross grounds out to third. 1 out.
- Kawakami singles.
- Johnson grounds into a fielder’s choice. 2 out.
- Johnson thrown out trying to steal second. 3 out.

Top 4th:
- Ross singles past short.
- Paulino strikes out. 1 out.
- Sanchez grounds into a fielder’s choice. 2 out.
- Bonifacio strikes out. 3 out.
Good to avoid the leadoff single.

Bottom 3rd:
- Infante flies out to left. 1 out.
- Escobar flies out to right. 2 out.
- Anderson doubles to right.
- Kotchman walks.
- Francoeur singles past short. Anderson scores. Kotchman to second. 3-1 Marlins.
- Schafer strikes out. 3 out.
At least we’re on the board.

Top 3rd:
- Amezega grounds out to Kawakami. 1 out.
- Ramirez flies out to right. 2 out.
- Cantu walks.
- Uggla doubles to left. Cantu to third.
- Hermida strikes out swinging. 3 out.
Worked out of a jam there.

Bottom 2nd:
- Jeff Francoeur flies out to center. 1 out.
- Jordan Schafer grounds out to first. 2 out.
- David Ross walks.
- Kenshin Kawakami singles to left. Ross to second.
- Johnson pops out to second. 3 out.
Another couple of runners stranded. We need to start crossing the plate with those!

Top 2nd:
- Jorge Cantu singles past third.
- Dan Uggla grounds to short. KJ bobbles the catch for the double play. Both runners safe.
- Jeremy Hermida flies out to center. Runners stay put. 1 out.
- Cody Ross homers to right. 3-0 Marlins.
- Ronny Paulino walks.
- Anibal Sanchez bunts to first. Paulino to second. 2 out.
- Bonifacio grounds out to first. 3 out.
Those runs are all on KJ, the inning should have been over. Not to mention the many added pitches on Kawakami’s arm.

Bottom 1st:
- Kelly Johnson flies out to center. 1 out.
- Omar Infante lines out to center. 2 out.
- Yunel Escobar singles to left. Steals second.
- Garret Anderson walks.
- Casey Kotchman flies out to left. 3 out.
Stranded a few men, but at least a little spark of offense.

Top 1st: 
- Emilio Bonifacio strikes out swinging. 1 out.
- Alfredo Amezega flies out to right. 2 out.
- Hanley Ramirez grounds out to third 3 out.
Just the start that Kawakami needed.  Good 1-2-3 inning.


Tags: , ,
Posted in Game Threads | 3 Comments »

Who is David Ross?

Written by Jonathan on February 27, 2009 – 9:36 am

After his two-run home run off of Roy Oswalt in the second inning of yesterday’s game, David Ross peaked at least a little interest among fans, including the couple of mailbag requests that we received asking who this guy was.  Ross was signed as a free agent to a two-year, $3 million deal in early December to serve as a backup to Brian McCann; a role that was not well-filled by the combination of Corky Miller and Clint Sammons in 2008.

Ross has power potential but has struggled some in the past season.  In the 2006-2007 seasons for the Reds, Ross appeared in 202 games and hit 38 home runs.  After playing about a third of the 2008 season for the Reds, he was released and picked up off of waivers by the Red Sox.  He made only 8 plate appearances for them, recording just one hit.  He brings a career .222 batting average to Atlanta.

He is expected to replace Corky Miller and Clint Sammons as the backup catcher in 2009.  Hopefully this will give Bobby Cox a little more confidence on the days when Brian McCann needs to rest.    Miller and Sammons combined to bat .114 in their 114 at-bats last season.  With Miller going to the White Sox, Sammons will likely spend time in the minors as the younger catching depth for the Braves.

Despite the decline in power numbers for Ross, he still provides a viable option for a pinch hitter and backup behind the plate.  Personally, I look for Sammons in the majors soon, so I was more expecting the Braves to sign Ross for one year, but the two-year signing gives a little more flexibility for the future and to build the catching depth that we have lacked in  the past.


Tags: ,
Posted in General | 1 Comment »

Braves Should Be Buyers At Deadline

Written by Dan on June 28, 2008 – 3:06 pm

To answer the question of buyer versus seller for the Braves, please remember the last two weeks of the 2007 season in the National League — anything is possible. Currently sitting four games back of the Phillies, the Braves are still very much alive in the most competitive division in baseball and will be buyers by the trade deadline.

I identify the Braves immediate needs as being veteran starting pitching and improving their bench. So do not expect another Mark Teixiera type trade this summer. Fortunately, Mike Hampton, Tom Glavine and Mark Kotsay are all on the mend and will be back before the trade deadline which could turn out to have the effect of a bigger trade.

The current starting rotation has held up unbelievably so, with four rookies, but I feel that the Braves need to add one more inexpensive starting pitcher because there are so many health questions with aging veterans (I mean it’s Mike Hampton…c’mon!) and four rookies. The durability of young starting pitching is always in question when it comes to September and hopefully October, so some insurance would be great to have. Frank Wren should not be looking to spend too much in this area, but players that could make sense are: Shawn Chacon, Free Agent; Odalis Perez, Washington; and Paul Byrd, Cleveland.

Buying low on Chacon makes a ton of sense to me because he will not cost the Braves a single prospect, he has some playoff experience, absolutely has something to prove and can really add depth as a starter or reliever. Whether or not the Braves want to take the chance on Chacon is a whole different question, but anyone can see that “free” is better than trading a prospect or two for Byrd or Perez who offer no upgrades on Chacon. Again, these guys aren’t going to knock you off your feet, but it’s depth that the Braves need since the young pitching is in the long-term plan (Jurrjens, Reyes and Morton). However, if the opportunity is there to get Erik Bedard in a Braves jersey, it would be worth the high price to put a potentially dominant righty-lefty combination back to back with Tim Hudson.

The Braves bench has shown its ugly face with recent injuries and currently is comprised of four players hitting below the Richie Sexson Line (.218). Corky Miller (.100), Ruben Gotay (.211), Greg Norton (.207) and Brent Lillibridge(.091) do not provide the depth that the Braves need from the bench. Perhapd Norton and Gotay can hang around but Miller needs to be sent packing and I have seen Lillibridge hit one ball to the outfield, he needs more time. Truly, I feel more comfortable with Jorge Campillo (.267) at the plate than Miller at this point. Without much help in sight from the minors, acquiring a backup catcher should become an immediate priority for Wren and the baseball operations people. Some options include: Gregg Zaun, Toronto; Ronnie Paulino, Pittsburgh; and David Ross, Cincinnati. Zaun is the best (and most expensive) of the bunch. He would provide the most experience and a great bat off the bench if need be. Zaun has an option year coming and would cost around 2 million dollars for the remainder of the season, which may be cheap enough. I like the idea of adding Paulino a lot as well. Paulino is a career .279 hitter and has fallen out of favor in Pittsburgh; he is still young and could pan out as a solid catcher somewhere. I have heard questions about his character and commitment, not something that the Braves are known for having a high tolerance for.

One final player name that I need to mention is that of Randy Winn. Acquiring Winn makes so much sense to be because he drops everyone down a spot and makes the entire outfield and bench better. A healthy Matt Diaz and Gregor Blanco become 4th and 5th outfielders’, which in turn makes the bench a lot more dangerous in the late innings with Diaz and his ability to mash lefties and Blanco’s speed as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. Winn also is durable and can be counted on to be in the lineup (149+ games played since 2001). The Braves have been linked to Winn earlier this month and it does make sense.

Remember that it does not always have to be a big deal to make a big impact and the Braves should be looking hard at some of the less talked about names approaching the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.

- Dan
BravesBlast is proud to introduce its newest contributing writer, Dan Fisher.  For Dan’s personal blog, visit http://baseballecon.blogspot.com.


Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Roster Moves, Speculation | 8 Comments »

BravesBlast.com is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Atlanta Braves organization. Views expressed on this site do not reflect the views of the Atlanta Braves organization.