Smoltz signed with the Red Sox this spring hoping to make a comeback from shoulder surgery and the Braves got some serious flack for not matching his contract from a lot of people (including myself). In the end, it looks like Frank Wren went the right direction as Smoltz had a disappointing sting with the Sox, going 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA in 8 games started. There was some banter for the Braves to bring him back in the bullpen, but with the Braves anticipating the return of Tim Hudson from the DL, they passed on Smoltz.

Smoltz will join the Cardinals’ rotation – and I’m sure he hopes to not post an 8.32 ERA in additional outings. We’ll hope he can return and perform – and that he’s not just doing the Brett Favre “I will not retire” dance.

Frank -

I respect you and your staff. I’ve stood up for you when fans have started bashing you this offseason. I know what has happened so far is out of anyone’s control. I love the Braves and everything about the organization. I’ve been a fan since 1991, when I was five years old. I’ve owned season tickets, I’ve started a blog about all things Braves. Travelled to Spring Training. Sat through playoff losses. But my most memorable moments include John Smoltz. Last year’s 3000th strikeout: I was front row in the upper deck (in my season tickets), screaming. Years ago when he was closing, I was looking forward to the 9th inning, hoping we’d be leading. In 1995, he was there. He’s always been the backbone of my love for the Braves. Classy ballplayers like him don’t come around often, and we know it.

We all know that Smoltz is the face of the organization. He’s THE Brave player we think of when we imagine someone wearing the jersey. He’s been loyal to the club through role changes, down years, off years. Always been more than friendly to fans, extremely loyal to the club. He’s the ONE guy we always thought would retire in a Braves uniform – perhaps the second to last guy to have one career with the same team (Chipper is younger and hopefully the last).  But loyalty is a two-way street. If you let Smoltz go, it is something that will be blamed on you – and it’s devastating.

For heavens sake, match whatever the Sox offer. I don’t care what it is. It’s not like we’ve signed anyone else. At this point it’s not about money: it’s about not losing fans. Give us something to come to Turner for in ‘09. Don’t give me this sick feeling in my stomach. I’ve talked to dozens of fans – and they’re all devastated just like I am. We don’t know what to think. And we’re talking about hardcore, love ‘em ’til we die fans. Not the guys who buy tickets once a year just to drink beer, but fans that buy ticket packs, season tickets, jerseys, memorabilia. The guys who travel to spring training.

Keep Smoltz. Match his offer. Do whatever it takes. Please don’t let us down – regardless of what else happens, PLEASE don’t let Smoltz finish his career in another uniform. He’s been better than that for almost 20 years. We should be too.

I’m begging you – we’re begging you: Keep Smoltz. Do what it takes.

Sincerely,

Please consider signing your name and adding your thoughts to a comment. It’s probably too late to do anything, but we can hope.

I don’t really know what to say.  I am absolutely crushed by this news.  Smoltz has spent his entire big league career starting in 1988 in a Braves uniform.  Half the reason I’m a Braves fan is because of him (the other half is Dale Murphy, this is no secret to anyone).  I have nothing else to write, I just can’t believe we’ll be seeing John Smoltz come to The Ted this year in anything but a Braves uniform.  I’ll leave it at that for everyone to discuss.

The concern is that they might. The Yankees aren’t happy with landing Sabathia. Rumor has it they also want to sign Burnett, Lowe, Sheets, Teixeira, LeBron James, The Olsen Twins, and Darth Vader. I hate the Yankees, and if they steal Burnett out from under us, I’m going to be PISSED. Absolutely livid. We need Burnett – we have to have an ace to anchor the rotation, and even though it’s a large bet on Burnett, we have to make it or we’ll flounder all season.

Also, Boston papers think Smoltz is looking at the Mets and Red Sox, among others. I just laughed when I read it. He’ll end up here, and he’ll retire as a Brave, or I’ll redirect BravesBlast.com to WTFWereYouThinkingFrankWren.com. And that’s a promise.

C’mon Burnett, sign the paper already.

UPDATE: According to Mark Bowman, the Braves have in fact not yet offered Burnett a guaranteed 5-year contract.  We’ll wait to hear more.

Smoltz threw from a mound on Friday for the first time since his shoulder surgery in June and experienced no pain or discomfort.  At this point in his rehab, he has been described as being “way ahead of schedule”.  The official answer from the Braves at the current time is that they cannot yet count on Smoltz for the 2009 season, but it appears that his rehab is at least coming along fairly well.  It seems that Bobby Cox is very confident that Smoltz will be back on the mound for the 2009 season, saying, “oh, he’ll be back — no doubt in my mind”.

Though saying that he can’t yet count on Smoltz for 2009, Frank Wren has indicated that he hopes to offer him a contract when he reaches a point in his throwing program that it seems like he will be ready to pitch again.  It’s good to see that 5 arm surgeries throughout his career have not killed the desire in Smoltz to get the Braves back to postseason play.  

It’s not yet clear what role Smoltz would take up on the pitching staff and I presume that a lot of that would depend on how the rest of his rehab program goes.  He has, however, indicated that he would be willing to return in any role that would be helpful to the team, though he would love to return to the rotation.  Whether it be as a starter, in the bullpen, or as the closer, I’d be more than happy to see Smoltz back out at Turner Field.

So what do you think?  Will we see Smoltz back in 2009?  Will he be back in a Braves uniform?  What role do you see him serving on the pitching staff?

Smoltz also said he’d attempt a comeback after surgery on his labrum went well.  He is expected to be playing golf in three months and throwing in four.

I’m at work, so that’s all you get.  Discuss!

Meanwhile, Tom Glavine strained his elbow and was placed on the DL.  Apparently from the first pitch last night his elbow hurt, but he pitched through the pain only to be pulled with the elbow strain.

So there’s the Braves’ two elder statesmen having health issues.  Glavine is on the DL for the second time this season – and the second time in his long career.  Smoltzie is gone for at least this season, maybe for good.  And the Braves are back below .500, trying to figure out how to win on the road and where they can find some pitching.

This time, more than ever, we’ve got to figure out where we’re going to get some starting pitching, and fast.  I maintain that Charlie Morton is ready – the traditional measure for minor league pitchers is innings pitched, and he’s thrown just under 600 innings.  He’s also 5-2 with a 2.05 ERA and 72 K’s to 27 walks.  Bring him up and give him a shot – he impressed in spring training.

We also likely should trade for another solid arm.  Even if we bring Morton up, we’re pitching Hudson, Jurrjens, Campillo, Morton, and Reyes.  If we want to win and go into the post season, we need another solid arm.  Jonathan’s a big proponent of trading Mark Teixeira for a young arm with some life left on the contract.  I’m not sure what he said Tex is supposed to ask for at the end of the season, but supposedly we may not be able to afford it even without Hampton, Smoltz, and Glavine’s contracts.  I’ll let him explain that more here.

What do you think we should do?  Should we let Jo-Jo Reyes fight it out for that fifth spot?  Can he make it at the big league level?  Is Morton ready, or am I just talking out of the seat of my pants?

Unfortunately we won’t be seeing John Smoltz back out on the field today as the closer.  The announcement in his press conference today was that he would most likely have season-ending surgery next Tuesday, but that he’s not yet ready to retire and will pitch again should his rehabilitated shoulder allow him to do so.  Personally, I don’t think any of us are ready for him to retire, but it’s going to have to happen sooner or later.

Tom Glavine’ll be taking the hill for the Braves today against Mark Hendrickson, who despite having a 5.27 ERA so far this season, is coming into the game with a 7-3 record.  If we can keep the offense cool, we have a great shot today.  Go Braves!

After being on the DL for five weeks and coming back with a new arm slot to alleviative shoulder issues, Smoltz experienced significant soreness after a disappointing outing on Monday night.

The Braves have a press conference scheduled for 11:30 today and inside sources confirm that Smoltz is likely to retire in addition to announcing that his season is over.

More as it comes, but this could truly be a sad day in Braves history. Smoltz Retiring – I knew it’d come someday but I didn’t want it to be this soon.

Update: Season ending shoulder surgery is scheduled with James Andrews in Birmingham.  Smoltz could be ready for next spring if he doesn’t retire.  Smoltz says he fully intends to continue to pitch if he can.

There are a couple rumors here – one mentioned by the announcers during today’s game involved the highest profile free agent on the team. Reportedly the Braves would send Mark Teixeira to the Cleveland Indians for starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia would provide the depth to the rotation the Braves need (he’s won an average of 15.3 games each of the last three seasons), but the Braves would lose Teixeira and much of the needed protection behind Chipper, who is powering the offense. Sabathia is only 28 and would possibly be harder to resign at season’s end than Teixeira will be – and we can’t count that out. Plus, who would play first? Other rumors include either a top pitching prospect or Jordan Schafer for Sabathia – neither of which make sense for a pitcher with under a year left on his contract.  Don’t forget that if we trade Tex, we have nearly no chance of re-signing him.

The most popular rumor has Greg Maddux coming to Atlanta – something that I don’t think will happen. Frank Wren was very adamant pre-season that he wasn’t looking for a reunion tour of the big three. Now Maddux would be a very popular choice, but he’s older and may not be available for re-signing at the end of the year (no telling when he hangs up the cleats).

Jayson Stark offered his opinion on this earlier today:

“Clubs that have spoken with the Braves say they’re more focused on trying to find a younger starting pitcher they can hang onto for [more than] just the last few months of this season. So think more along the lines of the non-free agents who could pop onto the market…”

Stark goes on to mention Joe Blanton, Rich Harden, Bronson Arroyo, and Jeremy Bonderman – but stresses the Braves could be after any pitcher in this category.

I think that the Maddux thing is a bit of a pipe dream as opposed to reality. He’d offer us a good fifth arm in the rotation if Reyes isn’t working out, but I think we’d have to give up too much to get him. I’d much rather see us trade a younger prospect for a pitcher with plenty left in the tank and a few years on his contract. It’s time we start stacking our rotation for tomorrow.

Who would you like to see come to the Braves? Chime in with your opinion and comment below.

Other tidbits: East Coast Bias had a great article today on the Braves one-third of the way through the season. Take a look – very good read.

Smoltz arrives back in Atlanta today to be re-evaluated.  He may continue his rehab stint but he could also be activated from the DL soon.  He’ll pitch out of the bullpen, likely closing games for the Braves.  Smoltz has been in the role before, with 154 saves from 2001-2004.

Smoltz will be part of a trio of pitchers that will greatly enhance the depth of the Braves already quality bullpen.  Rafael Soriano, the intended closer at the start of the season, has been battling elbow tendinitis.  Soriano pitched an inning for the Mississippi Braves on Friday, and could be activated either today or tomorrow.  He’s hitting 93 with his fastball, which is good news.

Mike Gonzalez had Tommy John surgery last year and is nearing return as well.  He’s a dominant lefty that the Braves got from the Pirates for Adam LaRoche.  It may take him some time to regain pre-surgery form, but with Smoltz and Soriano he could make a huge difference.  Even the players are excited about it – the AJC quoted Brian McCann as saying “You get Smoltz and Soriano back, and Gonzo, it’s going to be nasty. Those are guys who’ve done it before, and we’ve got guys like Blaine and Acosta who’ve filled in and done an awesome job.”

If you think the bullpen is nasty now, give it two weeks.

Smoltz, Soriano, Gonzalez – Bobby Cox believes that all three of these guys could be off the disabled list and in the bullpen in the next two weeks.  Smoltz has been rather quiet about the condition of his shoulder.  Soriano has made the first of two planned rehab assignments in AA Mississippi.  Gonzalez has been throwing in extended spring training and is expected to be evaluated in Atlanta next week in preparation for rehab assignments.  These three will change the face of our bullpen a lot; the question at this point is, who will be moved to make room on the roster?

Yunel Escobar – Yunel missed last night’s game against the Mets after a collision with Ryan Church on the last out of the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.  Escobar still has some pain and swelling below his knee and is questionable for tonight’s game.  He’s currently planning on being back for the wrap-around series against the Diamondbacks this weekend.

Chipper Jones – After taking a pitch of the shin in last night’s game, Chipper is experiencing a bit of soreness but says that it feels a lot better today than it did as he left the game yesterday, hardly able to put any weight on it.  He’s questionable tonight, but we need him in the game.  We all know how the offense performs when he’s out of the lineup.  Losing Chipper and Escobar against the Mets seems common this season.

Turner Field Death – As we talked about through the night, Justin Hayes has died from the injuries suffered in his 150-foot fall from the stairwell in Turner Field last night.  As part of the Braves community, we are saddened by this news and offer our condolences to his family and friends.  This is the first non-medical death at Turner Field since it was constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games.

Hank Aaron Is Awesome -  Just to reiterate the fact that I think Hank Aaron is one of the greatest baseball players ever, I’ve decided to close this article with a recent Aaron quote.  “But seriously, I think Bonds has done wonderfully. I think he had a marvelous career. I had it for a long time. Seven-fifty-five was there for a long time.” Hank went on to say what we all already know is true, “I still consider myself the home-run king”.

The question arises, if he gets healthy and helps from the bullpen, would he switch to the starting rotation if we made it to the postseason?  He’s a competitor and would want to contribute as much as possible.

In other news, the NY Daily News is reporting that Pedro Martinez is contemplating retirement at the end of the season due to the failing health of his father.  Pablo, age 78, is dealing with cancer and the emotional toll is weighing heavily on the family, as well as himself.  In an admission of the toll the heavy schedule of baseball on family life, Pedro told the News “I haven’t been there for them. I just realized that between last year and this year I haven’t been there for my family, my parents… After this season, I’m going to go back home and think about it and I’m going to decide.”

The question with the Pedro situation is – will the Mets and their fans really miss him?  He hasn’t quite been the electric starter he was with Boston, so one has to ask – does this even matter?

There, I said it.  With John Smoltz and his bum shoulder pushing him to the bullpen (hopefully if he can heal), our starting rotation looks a wee bit tattered.  Think I’m kidding?  Take a look at the starting rotation.  Hudson has been the Ace so far, with six wins.  Jurrjens has been great with four wins and 41 strikeouts in eight starts.  And then we have Glavine, who is better than his record shows, deserving better than a 1-1 record, but concerning with a 4.41 ERA and a 1-1 strikeout to walk ratio.

Past that, it’s not a rotation.  It’s a random weekly game of bingo that decides between Chuck James, Jo-Jo Reyes, and Jeff Bennett and they rotate out as soon as one of them sucks it up.  And it’s not something that will let us compete into September.  At least Chuck’s out of the consideration for now, but that just leaves room for another Joe Somebody to try.

We had depth, supposedly.  But Smoltz has had shoulder issues – and he’s had those sporadically at the end of the season in seasons past.  And I can’t even discuss what happened to Hampton without feeling like I’d be suggesting he could heal.  And until he proves me wrong, I won’t believe it’s a possibility.  But can we make it to September?  I’m doubtful.  Something has to be done.

Sure, we’re first in the league in ERA and BAA, and second in OPS allowed and third in WHIP, but does that mean jack diddly when we have three starters?  It won’t last long, I tell you.  We’ll miss Smoltz as long as his shoulder keeps him pitching two innings late in the game.  We need a strong starter.  And unless Jo-Jo Reyes can keep it up and start pitching like he pitches in AAA ball, where there’s less pressure, or Jeff Bennett turns a page for the rest of the season, we’ll be a team with three consistent starters and two fillers.  It concerns me.

Do we make a move?  We have tons of young outfielders in the minor league system.   Do we bring up Charlie Morton from AAA and see if he is ready for the big time?  I’m just an armchair GM, sure, but I’m not the only one in Atlanta who is a little concerned about our rotation.

Does that take away anything from our accomplishment so far? Not necessarily. It does, however, bring about the question of how long can the bullpen keep up their routine. Yes, eventually Smoltz, Soriano and Gonzalez will return and give us probably the best finishers in the league, but until then? And what about after that? What happens to our middle relief? Acosta, Boyer, Ohman and the others can only go so far. Especially Acosta, who has never pitched a full season in the majors and may hit a wall.

Going back to the starters. At the beginning the season, the Braves touted one of the deepest starting pitching crops of any team in the majors and looked to be getting back to their old ways of being the pitching premium. Smoltz, Hudson, Glavine, Jurrjens, Hampton, James, Reyes, Carlyle and Bennett among others that were potential starters.

Smoltz went down in spring training with a shoulder injury that never really fully recovered, and may not. It’s an injury that will linger throughout the season. For Smoltz, though, the option of pitching out of the bullpen is still there and will probably become a reality. This will reduce the stress he puts on his shoulder as well as allow him time to recover between appearances.

And then our boy Hampton tries to go up the stairs without his bubble-wrap suit and yeah…gets hurt (kidding, he actually strained a pectoral muscle warming up in cold weather and strained it again on the 71st pitch of a rehab game). Thankfully, the Braves had options at that point.

Chuck James, a veteran with options who has won 10 games in each of the past two seasons as well as Jojo Reyes and Jeff Bennett. Bennett has been a solid replacement. Three times spot starting, all of his starts have been solid. Unfortunately, only one of those was a “quality start” (6 or more innings pitched, three or less earned runs allowed). For the Braves to be successful in the long run, quality starts are important. Two of last seasons top three quality starters (Huddy and Glavine) are in the rotation, while the other (Smoltzy) is moving to the bullpen. The AJC reported today that Bennett may be a potential replacement for James in the rotation. Updated: Campillo to get the start in James’ place in game 2 against the Mets.

Carlyle is sitting on the DL with a strained neck after running into a runner against San Diego. Jojo Reyes has been both solid and bad at times. Against San Diego, he gave up two runs, but walked two in 2 2/3 innings and had thrown 51 pitches to that point. Against Philly last Friday, Reyes cruised through the first three innings with no trouble. But really struggled with the middle of the order the second and third times around and ended up giving up five runs in 5 1/3 innings.

The Braves are truly lucky to be sitting where they are, and with no one having run away with the division to this point, the Braves are primed for a run. Both Gonzalez and Soriano should be back before the end of the month and Smoltz not too far behind. Reyes is getting adjusted to the majors and Bennett/Campillo could be a solid tail end of the rotation. With the way John Schuerholz and Frank Wren prepared this team, they had injury problems at the front of their mind and truly did a strong job of getting together the right personnel to keep this team afloat.

At the time, there was no reconstruction and recovery procedure for the injury and pitchers that suffered from a torn or “compromised” (like Moylan) ligament were doomed to sit out the rest of their days. Dr. Frank Jobe decided to try a new, unheard of procedure on John. He hypothesized that if he could use a tendon from another part of the body (most likely the arm or leg) and attach it to the elbow, it would grow into a ligament. Jobe tried the procedure but had to wait an entire year to witness the results of the surgery.

Jobe was delighted to see that the surgery was a success. John went on to a 10-10 record in his first season back, 1976. John went on to pitch 13 more seasons in the bigs and compiled a 288-231 record and had a 3.34 career ERA.

With John being the first to successfully complete a rehab from the UCL surgery, the reconstructive procedure took on his name and to this day is considered a pitcher’s best friend.

Now as far as its ties to the Braves go, several pitchers on our staff have had the surgery already:

John Smoltz – In 1999 Smoltzie started throwing with a side-arm and three quarters-arm delivery. I don’t know if this is what caused the UCL tear or if he pitched that way because of arm troubles, but it was fairly effective. Smoltz went 11-8 with a 3.19 ERA. Smoltz pretty much lost all or part of five years with the surgery as a starter. It’s probably that he would be a 300 game winner, or at least within reach of the milestone. But there’s another one he can get to at this point: 200 saves.

Mike Hampton – Wow…what more is there to say about Hampton. He was off to what looked like a career year for the Braves before having fore-arm soreness in May on 2005. He made one more start that year towards the end, before electing to have the procedure. He sat out all of 2006 rehabbing from the injury, but unfortunately tore another ligament in the same elbow.

Rafael Soriano – Soriano was supposed to be a great relief pitcher for the Mariners. He struck out 68 in 53 innings in 2004 with a 1.53 ERA, but had to have the surgery late in 2004. He pitched well in 2006, but had to sit out the last month with a severe concussion after getting hit with a line drive in the head. The Braves then traded for him and he has had mixed success in his time with the Braves. Luckily the MRI on Soriano’s elbow came back negative for anything serious.

Jorge Campillo – Campillo also pitched for the Mariners (what is with us and getting players from AL west teams, a few from the A’s and a couple from the Mariners and one big one from the Rangers). He debuted in 2005, but quickly required the surgery after just two appearances. He was released after rehabbing because the team was not pleased with his progress. He signed with the Braves this past offseason and has been a great addition to the roster.

Jeff Bennett – Bennett pitched one season with the Brewers going 1-5 in 60 appearances. Bennett required the surgery in 2006 after spending 2005-06 in the minors. Bennett signed with the Braves after the 2006 season and spent much of 2007 in the minors. During the September call-ups, Bennett proved he could pitch in the majors and won a spot as the long-reliever/spot starter in spring training.

Among other pitchers in the Braves organization, Anthony Lerew underwent the surgery after two starts last season and is currently rehabbing.

Kelly Johnson also underwent the surgery after a tear on a throw from the outfield during the 2005 season. Braves personnel decided to shift him to second base (he was originally drafted as a short stop) to avoid any further injuries to his arm. He sat out the entire 2006 season, but has returned the Braves lineup as an asset as the leadoff man.

With more and more pitchers electing to get this surgery on a regular basis, it poses the question, “what’s the best way to pitch?” Pitchers get hurt pitching overhand, side arm, whatever. Is there really a perfect way to pitch to avoid injuries? So far Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux may be the best examples of two pitchers that have avoided pitching-related injuries for as long as they have.

Here’s the quote:

“I am planning on coming back as a reliever first, and more than likely for the rest of this year.”

Can the Braves’ rotation handle Smoltz being in the ‘pen?  Sure, it’ll stabilize things out there, but what becomes of starting pitching?  Do we have to just cross our fingers and hope Jo-Jo Reyes can hold it together at a big league level?  Who picks up the slack?

Can we take it?  What do you think?

Smoltz, who just went on the DL today with biceps tendinitis, said in a phone interview Tuesday that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to help the team out.

“Right now I’m sitting at ground zero, taking it day by day, looking at every option to help this team get to the playoffs and end my career the way I’d like to end it.”

The rotation would definitely be hurt by the loss of Smoltz, but the bullpen could use his magic closer capabilities right now with Moylan gone for the season and Soriano out for at least a while longer.  Smoltz converted 154 saves in three and a half years as a closer from 2002-2004.

The trick here is that while we want Smoltz dominating for six innings, he may not be able to handle it.  He apparently has aged and his body can’t take the starting job right now.  If he heals up properly and can return to the rotation, he’ll be much appreciated.  But if he can’t start for the Braves, I’d much rather have him in the closing spot than not at all.  His arm is needed whenever he can pitch.

Smoltz promised he won’t rush back and that the Braves would be OK.

“I will be fine. The team will be fine. And the next time I throw will be because I’m ready.”

What do you think?  How is this going to affect the Braves heading into May and beyond?

This is Smoltzie’s second trip to the DL this season – and leaves Tim Hudson to ace the staff while Smoltz is recovering.  The Braves hope that a few weeks now will let Smoltz finish out the season strong, assuming the inflammation doesn’t come back.  The problem with that is I’m not 100% confident it’ll go away – it’s been an issue on and off now since the end of last season.

Can the Braves win without Smoltz?  It’s a good question. We need him and Hudson at the top of the pitching staff in order to allow Jurrjens and whatever other starters are healthy to anchor the back end of the rotation.  The good news is that Glavine is ready to pitch tonight and was activated from the DL as Smoltz went down.  Hampton is scheduled to make a start at AAA Richmond tomorrow and may be activated immediately after that if he can stay in one piece.

Not good for the Braves’ starting rotation, which has seen much more turbulence this season that previously expected.  We’ll keep you posted as we hear more.

Chipper Jones – Chipper missed the last two games with spasms in his lower back.  This is a tricky injury that could be gone in a minute or stick around for a couple of weeks.  Chipper’s tough though and if there’s any chance of him playing, he’s not going to miss a game.  He’s still having some trouble rotating his body though, so we may see him miss another game or two.  He should hopefully be back by the time the Braves return to Turner Field this weekend.

Yunel Escobar – Yunel cracked his fingernail trying to lay down a bunt in Friday night’s game and missed the games on Saturday and Sunday as a result.  Bobby Cox said there’s an outside chance that we’ll see Yunel play Tuesday night.  The swelling in his finger is going down but he’s still unable to really grip a bat and I’m sure he’ll be severely crippled by the injury in the field as well.  I look for him to be back in the lineup by the time the Braves head back to Atlanta as well.

John Smoltz – Smoltz has been bothered off and on by soreness between his neck and shoulder.  He was strong in his two previous starts before coming out of the game after only 3 innings yesterday.  In his postgame interviews, Smoltz gave a less than positive impression of how he was feeling, saying that he doesn’t know if this is more than just muscle tightness.  Losing Smoltz would be a huge blow to our already crippled pitching staff, but if a month on the DL would keep him healthier through the rest of the season, it’s for the best.  I’m sure we’ll hear more on this soon as Smoltz may head back to Atlanta for medical evaluation.

Tom Glavine – Glavine’s expected to return from the disabled list to make his start this Tuesday.  Tommy has been out for a couple of weeks after leaving a game in the first inning with tightness in his hamstring.  His stint on the DL has gone smoothly however and the Braves are confident that he’ll be ready to go against the Nationals tomorrow night.

Mike Hampton – How can there be an injury report without a man by the name of Mike Hampton.  Hampton’s still looking to make his first start in the majors since 2005 after a slew of injuries.  The latest was straining a pectoral muscle while warming up for a start at Turner Field earlier this season.  Hampton made a start with AAA Richmond this past week and went three innings.  I’d look for at least one more rehab start in Richmond before he heads back to Atlanta to make another attempt at starting.  He joined up with the team in New York this past weekend however and spent some time playing catch pregame.

Peter Moylan – Losing Moylan for the remainder of the season is a scary prospect, but is highly likely at this point in time.  Moylan is currently on the 15-day disabled list with a bone spur in his elbow that has compromised his UCL.  Later this week, he will be reevaluated to make a determination as to whether or not he will need to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the ligament.  I say that if this is the determination that is made, they shouldn’t waste any time in getting the surgery done to give Moylan as much time to recover as possible.  Tommy John usually requires a year at the minimum for recovery and rehab.

Mike Gonzalez – Gonzalez made an appearance in extended spring training last week throwing 12 pitches.  He still has a ways to go to be ready to pitch in the majors, but hopefully after a month or so more of rehab, we’ll be able to look to him to take a spot in the bullpen.

Rafael Soriano – Soriano’s elbow troubles continue to plague him.  When his stint on the 15-day disabled list was over, he was definitely not ready to come back to pitch.  We need Soriano healthy to take his spot as the closer, especially with Moylan down and out as well.  We’ll have to rely on Acosta for now until we get Soriano back.  Soriano threw a bullpen session last week and experienced some lingering discomfort in the elbow, but will continue to try throwing over the next week.

So there are the current injuries that are hampering the team.  On the offensive side, we desperately need Chipper and Yunel back in the lineup as they are great producers on that side of the ball.  Most of our problems lie in pitching however; 3 of our 5 starters are on this list as well as a number of key bullpen members.  Without pitching, we’re not going to go very far this season.