Braves' News Tidbits

[DravenX]

News from the 22nd of June.

Chipper Jones was unable to start Friday's game because of the strained adductor he suffered Wednesday.
"It was really bothering him," manager Bobby Cox said. "It was actually no better today at all. It's one of those deep groin pulls. It's going to be a problem." Yunel Escobar likely will fill in at third base through the weekend.

John Smoltz gave up eight hits and five runs over six innings Friday to lose his fourth game of the year.
Smoltz was cruising along, trading zeros with Kenny Rogers, until the hot-hitting Tigers scored all five of their runs in the sixth. He struck out seven and walked one intentionally. Smoltz, who has given up 15 hits in just 12 innings, in his last two starts, saw his ERA rise to 3.14. The fact that he didn't get any support didn't help matters, but then again, no Braves' starter is receiving much these days. Atlanta hasn't scored in 28 innings overall, and it's been shut out three straight times for the first time in 19 years.

Can't be perfect every game.

[DravenX]

News from the 23rd of June.

Kyle Davies left Saturday's game in the seventh inning with an undisclosed injury.
It appeared as though he might have strained something handling a grounder in the sixth inning. Before departing, Davies allowed two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings against the Tigers.

Kyle Davies was forced from his start Saturday with a strained left oblique.
Davies didn't seem to be in much pain, so maybe he'll be able to avoid the disabled list. If not, Lance Cormier could be brought back to take his place in the rotation.

Brian McCann was ejected from Saturday's game in the ninth inning for arguing a called third strike.
Bobby Cox came out and also got tossed for the 131st time, moving him into a tie with John McGraw for first place all-time.

Kelly Johnson went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as the Braves' No. 2 hitter in Saturday's loss.
The Braves tried to switch it up a bit after three straight shutouts, moving Willie Harris into the leadoff spot and dropping Johnson one place. The change shouldn't have much of a fantasy impact.

Chipper Jones homered off Justin Verlander for Atlanta's only run on Saturday.
Jones grimaced on a cut right before the homer, and it was obvious that the groin strain is giving him problems. Still, he'll try to tough it out.

Kyle Davies expects to make his next start after leaving Saturday's game with a strained left oblique.
"It's just a cramp," Davies said. "It started cramping up in the fifth inning. ... I didn't want to push it." Davies allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings before leaving the game versus the Tigers.

Cox is 1 ejection away for the all-time lead.

[DravenX]

News from the 24th of June.

Andruw Jones was dropped to seventh in the batting order, a day after his average fell below the "Mendoza Line."
Before Saturday, he was also last in the NL in June average (.127), last vs. right-handers (.193), third-lowest after the sixth inning (.148) and third-lowest with runners on base (.198). It was the first time Jones hit lower than sixth since 2005, when he had 32 at-bats from the seventh spot.

Chipper Jones (groin) returned Saturday with a home run against the Tigers, and also called out John Smoltz in the press.
"I'll play the rest of the games this year and do what I can," Jones said, then followed it with a clear jab at Smoltz: "Somebody I know better not miss a start, though." Chipper said he wasn't completely recovered but felt pressure to play because of three consecutive shutouts and comments by people who "don't believe [that he's hurt]."

[DravenX]

News from the 25th of June.

Eric Campbell went 3-for-5 with a pair of homers and four RBI for Single-A Myrtle Beach on Sunday.
After a weak first half of June, Campbell has 18 hits, three of them homers, in his last eight games. He's batting .247/.321/.432 overall, but part of that was due to a thumb injury and he's playing in a great environment for pitchers.

Even though the Braves are facing a right-hander, Kelly Johnson has been dropped to the seventh spot in Monday's lineup against the Nationals.
Desperation. Johnson is slumping, but he still has a .274/.377/.456 line this year, making him one of the game's best leadoff hitters. With all the struggling players they have, the Braves should pick on someone else.

Tim Hudson yielded one run in seven innings and struck out nine in a defeat of the Nationals on Monday.
Hudson, Rafael Soriano and Bob Wickman combined to fan 13 and walk none, and the Braves won even though they were outhit 9-7. The win was Hudson's first in five starts since May 30. He struck out a total of four batters in his previous three starts.

Brian McCann drove in all four Braves runs with a homer and a single in a victory over the Nationals on Monday.
The single snapped an 0-for-15 slump. He had a three-run homer off Billy Traber two innings later, just the second bomb he's hit against a left-hander this season. His OPS actually dipped below 700 before the nice game tonight.

[DravenX]

News from the 26th of June.

Lance Cormier (arm) was pounded for six earned runs and 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings in his rehab start for Triple-A Richmond on Monday.
Cormier allowed three runs in three innings in his outing last week. The even worse showing yesterday should ruin his chances of rejoining the rotation prior to the All-Star break. Wilfredo Ledezma might have moved ahead of him in line for a shot.

[DravenX]

News from the 27th of June.

Kyle Davies, who left his last start with a strained left oblique, threw his regular side session before Tuesday's game.
Davies is scheduled to pitch Friday, but the Braves still might decide to move him back. Since they have Thursday off, it'd be easy for them to rearrange the rotation.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia pounded two solo shots Tuesday to help offensively-challenged Atlanta finally score some runs.
Salty's first career two-homer game compensated for a throwing error he made as he continues to try to adjust to first base. In 29 games, the rookie has nine runs, four homers and 10 RBI.

Buddy Carlyle rebounded from the shellacking he took Wednesday against Boston by hurling seven strong innings to beat the Nats.
Carlyle evened his record and lowered his ERA to 5.14 as he yielded a mere five hits and one run, striking out six and walking one. It won't take much for Carlyle to stick around for a while, but efforts like this will entrench him in the rotation for good. Bob Wickman got the final two outs for his 14th save.

Andruw Jones hit a three-run home run Tuesday to end a long extra-base hit drought and lead the Braves to a 6-2 win over Washington.
It was Andruw's only hit of the night, but coming in mired in a 1-for-31 skid in which he hadn't had an extra-base hit in two and a half weeks and 53 at-bats, it was a very welcome sight. Jones, back in the cleanup spot the past two days, is still under the Mendoza Line, but has now driven in 45 runs in 75 games.

Kyle Davies' start will be pushed back to Tuesday after he compained of soreness in his strained left oblique Wednesday.
The Braves have Thursday off, so they'll just use the rest of the rotation on four days' rest. Chuck James, Tim Hudson and Buddy Carlyle will face the Marlins this weekend.

[DravenX]

News from the 28th of June.

Yunel Escobar was 4-for-5 with four runs and an RBI Wednesday as Atlanta contined to put its hitting slump in the rear-view mirror.
Nothing like a series against the Nats to snap a team out of its offensive doldrums. After scoring just once in a horrific five-game losing skid against the Tigers and BoSox, the Braves erupted for 23 runs in their three-game sweep over Washington. Tonight, they lashed a season-high 22 hits, included in which were a pair of doubles by Escobar. He's batting .305 with six doubles and six RBI

John Smoltz tossed five shutout innings Wednesday and was backed by plenty of run support as he won for the ninth time this season.
He gave up five hits and a walk, striking out seven to improve to 9-4 and lower his ERA under 3.00. This kind of support is rare for any Braves' starter recently, but always seems to be a problem for Smoltz. In his four losses, Atlanta has been outscored 14-2.

Chipper Jones drove in four runs Wednesday as Atlanta completed a sweep by hammering the Nats 13-0.
Chipper had an RBI single to get the Braves' onslaught off and running in the first and an RBI single in the third to make it 2-0 Atlanta. In the fourth, he added yet another RBI single and then capped his night with a fielder's choice in the fifth that produced another run. Jones also scored once, giving him 39 runs in 55 games.

[DravenX]

News from the 29th of June.

Eric Campbell had his second two-homer game of the week Thursday for Single-A Myrtle Beach.
Campbell is showing impressive power in an environment that surpresses it. He has nine homers in 163 at-bats, and he's batting .415 over his last nine games.

Kelly Johnson, back in the lineup after three days off, went 3-for-4 with two walks and three runs scored Friday against the Marlins.
We hope that's enough of a head-clearer for him. Johnson has had a tough time of late, but he deserves a chance to bust out of it. Tonight's performance was a good start.

Chuck James surrendered one run in 6 2/3 innings Friday in a victory over Florida.
He hasn't pitched deep into games as often as the Braves would like, but James has still given up more than three runs just three times in 17 starts this season. He's 7-7 with a 4.08 ERA.

Chipper Jones drove in four runs with a triple and a double Friday as the Braves crushed the Marlins 12-3.
Jones also walked three times in plate appearances. It was a fun night for the Braves, as Jeff Francoeur had four hits and Kelly Johnson reached base five times. The only player who didn't enjoy it was Brian McCann, who went 0-for-6 with four strikeouts. Jason Wood pitched the ninth for Florida and retired all three batters he faced, though both McCann and Francoeur hit long flies off him. Chipper also had four RBI in Wednesday's game. Prior to that, he hadn't done it all season.

[DravenX]

News from the 30th of June.

Bob Wickman had to be pulled after giving up three runs in the ninth Saturday against the Marlins.
Fortunately, the Braves had a 6-2 lead when Wickman entered, and Tyler Yates was able to retire Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla after replacing Wickman for his first save of the year. Wickman's job as the Braves' closer is safe, but his ERA is now up to 4.15. He's allowed runs just five times in 30 appearances, but this is the third time that he's given up three runs in a game.

Tim Hudson picked up his eighth victory by allowing one run over seven innings Saturday versus the Marlins.
Barely. Hudson blanked the Marlins for eight innings back in April, only to combine with Bob Wickman on a four-run ninth and get denied a victory. Tonight's game was 1-1 until the top of the eighth, when the Braves exploded for five runs. Wickman, though, gave back three in the ninth, turning the game into a 6-5 nailbiter before Tyler Yates finished the Fish. Hudson is now 8-5 with a 3.18 ERA. Still, that might not be enough to get him to his third career All-Star Game.

[DravenX]

News from the 1st of July.

Braves activated RHP Lance Cormier from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Richmond.
He was a disaster in his only two starts (14 hits and seven homers in 7 2/3 innings). "He'll be starting [in Richmond]," manager Bobby Cox said. "But he needs some time. I don't know what happened to him. He said he ached all over."

Neftali Feliz threw five scoreless innings Saturday and has a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings for Rookie Danville.
The 19-year-old Feliz might have the most upside of any Braves pitching prospect. The team has been very careful with him, so he's yet to get a trial at full-season ball since signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2005. That will probably happen next year.

Cormier did so well in Spring Training. His injury must of done something.

[DravenX]

News from the 2nd of July.

Chase Fontaine went 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBI for low Single-A Rome on Sunday.
Fontaine had just one hit in a week before his big game. The 2006 second-round pick is batting .280/.372/.390 with eight steals in 13 attempts this season.

[DravenX]

News from the 3rd of July.

Chipper Jones, one of two National Leaguers with a 1000 OPS, had three more hits Monday in the loss to the Dodgers.
The other is Barry Bonds, of course. Chipper was bypassed for the All-Star Game after missing 24 of Atlanta's first 83 games, and the Braves can't be too disappointed about it. As much as he could use the rest, he might have opted out anyway.

In his season debut, Tanyon Sturtze walked both batters he faced Monday for the Rookie GCL Braves.
Sturtze hasn't been as quick to recover from shoulder surgery as the Braves hoped, and there's a good chance he'll never reemerge as a valuable reliever. The Braves can't be counting on him for the second half.

Elvis Andrus went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and a walk Monday for Single-A Myrtle Beach.
A rare glimpse of the 18-year-old's power potential. Andrus is only holding his own in high-A ball, hitting .247/.331/.350, but that's still impressive for someone his age. He's probably not going to begin putting up quality numbers until 2009.

It would be nice to see Chipper in the All-Star game but the regular season is more important but he could at least got recognized.

[DravenX]

News from the 4th of July.

Kyle Davies, who missed a turn with a strained left oblique, was yanked after giving up five runs in two-plus innings Tuesday versus the Dodgers.
Maybe the oblique was an issue, but Davies wasn't pitching well prior to the injury. The Braves are likely to attempt to upgrade their rotation this month, and if they're successful, it's possible that they'll send Davies to the minors and keep Buddy Carlyle as their fifth starter.

John Smoltz is expected to miss his scheduled start Saturday due to his sore shoulder.
"We're planning by looking at the whole season," Smoltz said. "[Missing] one start doesn't matter." Smoltz's shoulder felt sore on Tuesday, but the team won't make a decision until after his throwing session on Wednesday. The Braves could take advantage of the All-Star break and get him 10 days between starts if they skip his start on Saturday.

John Smoltz will return to Atlanta on Thursday and meet with Braves doctors about his right shoulder discomfort.
Smoltz is expected to miss his scheduled start Saturday and likely will withdraw from the All-Star Game. The hope is that he'll return right after the break.

[DravenX]

News from the 5th of June.

Chuck James gave up four hits and a run over five innings Wednesday to beat the Dodgers and move over .500.
He struck out three and walked two in his first appearance against the Dodgers this season, lowering his ERA to 3.96. Bob Wickman was shaky, but held on for save No. 15.

Yunel Escobar was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI Wednesday as the Braves dumped the Dodgers 5-2.
Escobar led off the game with a single and was cashed by a Chipper Jones two-run single. He singled again in the third, but was caught stealing. He later doubled and then drove in the final Braves' run with a sac fly. Escobar is batting .309 with nine RBI. The Braves spread it around tonight as Andruw Jones hit his 14th homer and Brian McCann delivered an RBI single to help Atlanta snap a three-game losing streak.

John Smoltz confirmed Wednesday that he'll sit out the All-Star Game because of his sore right shoulder.
Smoltz, who will have his shoulder examined Thursday, plans on making his next start July 17 in the Braves' fifth game back after the All-Star break. Jo-Jo Reyes looks like the top candidate to start in his place on Saturday.

Braves optioned infielder Pete Orr to Triple-A Richmond.
Long overdue. Orr probably shouldn't have even had a roster spot out of spring training. He was hitting .179/.207/.196 in 56 at-bats.

Braves recalled RHP Joey Devine from Double-A Mississippi.
The Braves needed some help in the bullpen after a couple of short starts. Devine's stay might only last two days, as Jo-Jo Reyes is likely to be called up to start Saturday.

Brian McCann was a late scratch from Thursday's lineup against the Dodgers.
The TBS crew doesn't yet know what the problem was. Jarrod Saltalamacchia replaced him, and Kelly Johnson moved up to the fifth spot in the order.

Brian McCann wasn't in the lineup for Thursday's game because of a sprained knee.
He is available as a pinch-hitter off the bench. Jarrod Saltalamacchia started in his place tonight and could do the same Friday.

I hate to see Orr get sent down but with all the talent the Braves have in the infield and Orr's struggles, I believe it was wise to send him down.

[DravenX]

News from the 6th of June.

Tim Hudson lasted just three innings and gave up six runs on 10 hits Thursday in a no-decision against the Dodgers.
All of the runs were earned, but poor defense deserves a great deal of the blame for Hudson's poor performance. While he certainly could have been better, he threw far more pitches that he should have had to in his three innings. The poor outing means he'll head into the break with a season-high 3.54 ERA.

Chipper Jones became Atlanta's all-time home run leader with a pair of solo shots Thursday in a 8-6 win over the Dodgers.
Jones tied and then passed Dale Murphy with his 371st and 372nd homers. He homered from both sides of the plate for the first time in seven years and the sixth time in his career.

The Braves talked with the Nationals about Dmitri Young, but they chose to back off when the asking price was too high.
Nats assistant GM Mike Rizzo scouted the Braves' Double-A club before talks died. Young is a strong candidate to be dealt this month if the Nationals lower their asking price. The Twins could use him as a designated hitter.

Braves placed RHP John Smoltz on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 3, with an inflamed right shoulder.
An examination showed no structural damage, but the Braves still opted to place him on the DL, disrupting Smoltz's plans to pitch July 17. Now he won't be eligible to return until July 18 in the Braves' sixth game back from the break. Perhaps the Braves will go with Tim Hudson on three days' rest on July 17.

Smoltz will be back strong as ever. He seems to always come back strong from an injury.