Glavine Out Til Mid-July

An MRI of Tom Glavine’s elbow revealed a small tear of the flexor tendon origin.  Glavine will be out til at least Mid-July and will not need surgery.

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!

Bad News For Braves’ Elder Statesmen

John Smoltz has a torn labrum - significantly more damage than they hoped to find during surgery yesterday.  His future with the club is “uncertain” at this point.  He’s a fierce competitor, but can he come back from this surgery?  It took the spry Blaine Boyer nearly two years to recover from similar surgery.

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?

Of Course…We’re At Home

It’s a great feeling to be back at Turner Field.  Two games. Two come-from-behind wins.  That’s something that I’m 100% confident in saying that we are just incapable of doing on the road right now.  The Braves are only a game behind the Marlins in the division and can tie them with a win today while trying to hang with the surging Phillies who have won 7 of their last 8 games.  Hopefully we can cool them down when they come to Turner on Friday.

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!

Two In A Row On The Road?

The Braves are in Cincinnati for the start of a three-game series against the Reds to end the road trip.  After the offense came alive last night to prevent the sweep in Milwaukee, the Braves are looking to try to improve the dastardly road record.  Here’s hoping that Glavine can get out of the 5th inning tonight.  Edinson Volquez, or should I say Krusty, is taking the mound for the Reds tonight to try to continue his impressive 7-2 season with a win.

Now’s the time where the Braves need to turn the corner and start stringing together some wins on the road if we want to compete this season.  We swept the Reds at home earlier in the month, including a defeat of Volquez, so I know the team can do it.  Let’s get it going early and often.  Go Braves!

Everyone Loves A Clean Sweep

It was so sweet to be able to go to Turner Field after a long day this week and watch the Braves beat the crud out of the Mets.  We got solid starts from Glavine, Hudson, Jurrjens, and some guy named Campillo making his first start since 2005.  Our starters’ combined lines?

4 Wins, 27 Innings Pitched, 18 Hits, 4 Earned Runs, 3 Walks, 16 Strikeouts, 3 Home Runs Allowed 

Compare that to the Mets and their starters’ combined lines:

4 Losses, 20 Innings Pitched, 33 Hits, 17 Earned Runs, 8 Walks, 6 Strikeouts, 1 Home Runs Allowed

For the record, our best start came from Jorge Campillo.  And wasn’t it great to watch Santana implode tonight?  We can deduce a few things here from these lines - firstly, the Braves played a lot of fundamental ball - only one homer off of Mets starters.  And we didn’t rely on our ‘pen much - an average of just over 2 innings per game.  This is the kind of baseball we need to be playing.  Strong starters are the best foundation for a solid game.

Next up are the Diamondbacks - we can beat them since we’re at home, I’m sure.  We need to learn how to translate this play on the road.  And the Marlins need to start losing.  They’re NOT that good.

The Mets, on the other hand, aren’t that good.  And everybody knows it.  Especially them.  By the way, Jair Jurrjens has the same record as Johan Santana.  Ouch.

Go Braves!  Let’s sweep the Diamondbacks too.

This “Rotation” Scares Me

This rotation can’t win the division.

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.

Glavine Pulls In First Win Of Year

Tom Glavine finally got some run support last night as the Braves held off the Phillies 8-6 for his first win of the year.  Yunel Escobar led off the game with a home run and Chipper followed with a homer of his own later in the first to put the Braves up early.   Glavine didn’t have a great outing, but he held his own against the Phillies’ offense - giving up four earned runs in five and two-thirds innings.  He struck out four, walked two, and gave up a two-run homer to Chase Utley.  But thanks to the offense, the Braves stayed out front.   Some extremely rare clutch hitting on the road came from Brian McCann (who had 3 RBIs), Gregor Blanco (2 RBIs), and Kelly Johnson, who added a home run of his own in the second.

Of course, the win couldn’t come without some late drama, courtesy of Blaine Boyer - who already blew two saves when Glavine was in line to get the win.  Blaine came in for the last out of the eighth and then stayed on to try for the save in the ninth.  After retiring the first two batters, he gave up a run on three back-to-back singles before getting the third out on a long fly ball to Jeff Francoeur that made it to the warning track.

The Braves walked out with a win on the road - but they’re still just 6-15.  That mark has to improve for the Braves to compete in the East - despite some recent great play, they’re still 2.5 games out in fourth place.  Tonight we’ll look forward to Chuck James (2-2) taking on the Phillies’ ace, Cole Hamels (4-3).  If the Braves can score some runs, we’ve got a chance.  We desperately need another road win.

Game 2 Against The Phillies

The Braves can’t buy a win on the road right now.  When everything goes right, something bigger seems to go wrong.  As of now, the Braves have the worse road record in baseball; a paltry 5-15.  With a record like that, it’s surprising that they are still anywhere near the front of the division.  Only by having the best home record in baseball are we still within 4 games of the division lead.

Tom Glavine’s heading to the hill tonight, hoping that the veteran presence can try to get a road win on the record and keep the road record above .250 for the season.  Mark Teixeira, after missing the last two games with back spasms, was a late addition to the lineup for the day.  It’s not clear if he’ll play the whole game, but he’ll be making the start to try and give some normalcy back to an injury-laden lineup.

Time To Win On The Road

The Braves closed a dominant homestand to start off the month of May, winning all 6 games to extend their best-in-league home record to 14-4.  However, the road games are where the Braves have struggled thus far this season, only amassing 4 wins in 15 tries.  The Braves put their 6-game winning streak on the line against the Pirates to open up a 4-game series in Pittsburgh.

Tom Glavine will be on the mound for the Braves tonight, looking for his first win of the season.  Glavine was 1-out short of getting a win against the Reds last week, but just couldn’t make it out of the inning.  Tonight, I look to see Glavine keep the Braves in the game while the offense tries to provide the needed run support.  Let’s get above .500 for the road trip, guys!

The TJ Club

With Peter Moylan on the brink of season ending reconstructive surgery, we here at BravesBlast thought it would be a good idea to profile the surgery itself as well as some of the Braves that have had the surgery: the list isn’t short.
The surgery itself was developed in 1974 when the now infamous Tommy John developed a pain in his elbow as well as a noticeable drop in velocity. After tests, Dr. Frank Jobe diagnosed John with a torn UCL, ulnar collateral ligament. The UCL is the ligament in the elbow that connects the upper arm bone (humerus) to the ulna and radius of the forearm.

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.

Home Dominance: Reds Swept

The Braves are 11-4 at home so far this season (now if only we weren’t 4-11 on the road) and it was a much needed 3-game sweep of the Reds after we had dropped 4 straight on the road.  We’ve been pretty lax about getting game recaps up lately, so I’m going to do my best to give a quick recap of the Reds series:

Game 1 - Friday - Braves 2, Reds 0
Friday night’s game was an absolute gem for Tim Hudson.  We’ve been a bit worried about Hud lately with his visible lack of speed and inability to get deep into a game.  But Friday night, he looked like the Tim Hudson we expect to see on the mound.  He threw a complete game, 3-hit shutout of the Reds, while striking out 10 and not issuing a walk.  The offense didn’t really provide much support outside of a two-run home run for Brian McCann in the bottom of the 4th, but who needs it when you have a pitching outing like that.  Hudson only seems to be doing well in every other start however, so we’ll see how he looks next time out.

Game 2 - Saturday - Braves 9, Reds 1
I’m not going to lie.  I was worried going into the game on Saturday with Jo-Jo Reyes making his first big league start for the Braves this season.  Jo-Jo has tended to pitch amazingly well in the minors and then not been up to snuff when he made his appearances in the bigs.  For 5 innings on Saturday, however, he looked decent.  His control fell apart in the top of the 6th and Bobby Cox wisely got him out of the game.  This was definitely the right decision for the team as a whole and for Jo-Jo’s confidence in his ability to pitch.  Through 5 1/3 innings, Reyes issued 4 hits and only gave up 1 run while striking out 5.  He gave up three walks as well, all in the top of the 6th.  The offense helped seal up the win for Jo-Jo with a 6-run bottom of the 7th.  The Braves had 7 doubles on the day.

Game 3 - Sunday - Braves 14, Reds 7
Yesterday’s game can best be described as a slug-fest with the teams putting up a combined 30 hits and 21 runs.  Tom Glavine didn’t have his best stuff for the game, going only 4 2/3 innings and giving up 6 runs.  Royce Ring came in to finish off the 5th inning, and, by throwing one pitch, gained the win on the day.  The offense looked stellar yesterday however, bolstered by 3 doubles from Kelly Johnson (which gave him 5 doubles in two games) and home runs from Chipper Jones and Mark Kotsay.  Chipper had a total of 5 RBIs on the day.

Overall, I know the Reds aren’t really a great team in the league this season, but the sweep was just what the Braves needed at this point.  They’re back to .500 baseball again with a record of 15-15 and have an off-day today before a three-game set at home against the Padres.

Nationals Park…..Again….

How is it that, in April, we are already making our third trip to Nationals Park and have only played 4 away games against them so far?  Either way, we’re back in Washington for a two-game series to close out the month against the Nationals.  The Braves are fighting a slew of injuries, but key performers Chipper Jones and Yunel Escobar are back in the lineup tonight, which is good to see for all of the fans.

Tom Glavine’s taking the mound for the Braves tonight in his first start off of the disabled list.  Tommy is admittedly rusty after not pitching with his strained hamstring over the past couple of weeks.  Hopefully he still looks good enough to tame Tim Redding tonight.  Redding has more wins personally than the rest of the Nationals’ starting rotation.

I’m hoping for a good two-game series for the Braves, but the Nationals always seem to have our number no matter how well we’re doing.  It’s time to break that streak and get back in the win column.