Braves' News Tidbits

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News from the 17th of April.

Lance Cormier (shoulder) had another pain-free bullpen session on Sunday.
Cormier is scheduled to throw another bullpen session on Thursday and then leave for a minor league rehab assignment on Sunday. He is around two weeks away from possibly joining the rotation.

Double-A Mississippi's Matt Harrison combined with two relievers on a three-hit shutout on Monday.
West Tenn shortstop Chris Minaker had all three of the hits. Harrison went six innings and gave up two singles. The Braves' No. 1 pitching prospect is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three starts.

Chipper Jones homered for the fourth time in six games when he took Nationals reliever Jon Rauch deep on Tuesday night.
Jones also singled, walked, and scored another run in the game. The 34-year-old still has plenty of pop left in his bat, and only injuries are stopping him from remaining one of the game's best third basemen.

Kelly Johnson collected a career-high four hits in the Braves' 6-4 win over the Nationals tonight.
All four of Johnson's hits were singles, and he also stole a base and scored twice in the game. Even after today's strong performance he's batting just .222, but with nine walks to go with solid defense in the field he's been a valuable asset.

John Smoltz was charged with four runs -- two earned -- in six-plus innings against the Nationals tonight but still recorded his 195th career win.
Smoltz squared off against the Nationals last time out and took the loss, so today was his payback. He had allowed just two unearned runs through six, but a single and a triple to start the seventh quickly chased Smoltz from the game. Oscar Villarreal allowed the inherited runner to score, but kept the Braves ahead by a run and thus preserved Smoltz's win. Smoltz's two strikeouts tonight brought his career total to 2797, just six behind Cy Young for 18th on the all-time list.

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News from the 18th of April.

Scott Thorman went 0-for-4 on Tuesday and is batting .154 in 26 at-bats.
Of the four players involved in the Braves' platoons at first base and in left field, only Matt Diaz is batting above .200. Thorman does have four of the group's six RBI. Neither Craig Wilson nor Ryan Langerhans has driven in a run this year. Until someone gets hot, it's doubtful the Braves will make any big changes. The Braves are still hoping Thorman will get 450 at-bats and hit 15-20 homers this season.

Lance Cormier (shoulder) threw another pain-free bullpen session on Tuesday.
Cormier will throw another session on Thursday and if still pain-free, he will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Sunday.

Triple-A Richmond's Phil Stockman made his 2007 debut on Tuesday and struck out three in two scoreless innings.
Stockman had hamstring surgery in January, preventing him from receiving a chance to make the Braves. He'll see time in the team's bullpen later on.

Braves signed manager Bobby Cox to a one-year contract extension through the 2008 season.
Cox is locked into a job as the Braves' manager until he decides it's time to call it a career. The 65-year-old said during spring training that he might retire after 2008, which is likely why this is just a one-year extension.

Braves suspended infielder Willy Aybar indefinitely.
Aybar was supposed to rejoin the team after serving a three-game suspension he received for going AWOL over the weekend, but since he didn't show up, the Braves are extending his punishment. Apparently, no one in the organization has been in contact with him since he left.

Jeff Francoeur hit a three-run homer off Carlos Zambrano in the Braves' 8-6 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.
Now this is the Fracoeur we all know. After walking six times in three games, he went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts tonight. Still, the one hit gave him 15 RBI on the year.

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News from the 19th of April.

Mike Gonzalez is scheduled to have an MRI for a sore left elbow.
"I'm going to be fine," Gonzalez said. "It's just a little sore." As off as he's been since the very start of the spring, this comes as little surprise. It's a very good thing the Braves also picked up Rafael Soriano over the winter.

Willy Aybar, suspended indefinitely by the Braves on Wednesday, is in Boston dealing with "drinking and drugs," his agent told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The agent said Aybar was too shy and embarrassed to reach out to anyone with the team. "It's a situation where he doesn't want anybody to help him," Valdez said. "He's embarrassed for himself, for his family." Valdez didn't provide any timetable for when Aybar might rejoin the Braves.

Mike Gonzalez said tests on his elbow Thursday discovered no major problems.
"Everything was great," he said. "It was just what we were expecting: a little bit of inflammation, a little tenderness. We just wanted to make sure because of what happened last year that nothing had been going on with the ligament. It was the best result we could get." Gonzalez is still at risk for additional elbow troubles. He's day-to-day for now.

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News from the 20th of April.

Lance Cormier (shoulder) had another productive bullpen session on Thursday.
Cormier will begin a minor league rehab assignment by pitching for the Rome Braves on Sunday. If that outing goes well he will make two or three starts for the Richmond Braves before being activated from the disabled list.

Mike Gonzalez could resume pitching Sunday after undergoing an MRI Thursday for a sore left elbow.
Gonzalez has made one appearance in the last nine days.

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News from the 21st of April.

Chipper Jones crushed his fifth home run in nine games Friday to help stake the Braves to an early lead as they regained first place in the NL East.
Jones smoked a two-run jack in the first and wound up scoring three runs on the night. He just seems to love playing the Mets -- that's 37 career homers in 167 games against them. Jones has now driven in 10 runs and will be extremely valuable as long as he avoids the DL.

Tim Hudson hurled eight shutout innings at the Mets Friday, leading Atlanta to an 8-3 win over New York.
Dominating the Marlins and Nats was one thing, but Hudson cooled off a Mets team that had piled up 28 runs over its last three games. This is clearly no fluke anymore -- the Hudson the Braves thought they were getting in 2005 has definitely arrived. After scattering five hits and two walks in moving to 3-0, Hudson has given up a measly two runs in 29 innings this season. Is it too early to talk about Comeback Players of the Year?

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News from the 22nd of April.

Willy Aybar's mother, Vladimir Guerrero and others have been unsuccessful in attempts to contact Willy Aybar, who has a substance-abuse problem and failed to show for a scheduled meeting with Major League Baseball officials.
Aybar has been with an older brother, Francis, in Boston since driving by himself from Atlanta last week, according to his agent. "I'd never known him to have any drug or alcohol problems in the Dominican," brother Erick Aybar said. "He's a different guy [now]. I don't know what's going on with Willy."

Despite hitting just hitting .065 (2-for-31) with 13 strikeouts, no extra-base hits and no RBI, manager Bobby Cox said Ryan Langerhans will continue to platoon in left field with Matt Diaz.
"He's so good defensively, it's hard to take him out," said Cox, who plays Langerhans against right-handers and Diaz against lefties. Langerhans hit a stellar .360 during the spring, but has been struggling all regular season.

John Smoltz was hit hard by the Mets on Sunday, but wound up with a no-decision as the team rallied.
In 5 2/3 innings, Smoltz gave up nine hits and six runs, walking two and fanning three. His ERA rose to 4.26 after this outing, but the veteran righty had been quite effective before today. Before departing, Smoltz struck out his 2,799th career batter to pass Cy Young for 18th place on the all-time list.

Kelly Johnson's first career two-homer game helped pace the Braves to a come-from-behind 9-6 win over the Mets on Sunday.
He homered on the very first pitch of the game, and then added a huge three-run jack in the eighth that broke up a tie game and propelled the Braves to victory. This was sure a nice turnaround for Johnson after he took a golden sombrero on Saturday. For the season, he has four homers, 11 RBI and is inching towards .300, as those who pegged him as a pre-season sleeper continue to be proved correct.

Brian McCann had X-rays following the game after he was hit on his left ring finger and pinkie while trying to bunt in the ninth inning Sunday.
They came back negative. McCann stayed in today's game, but he might be due for a day off with the Marlins throwing Dontrelle Willis on Monday.

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News from the 23rd of April.

Lance Cormier (shoulder) allowed one run in two innings and struck out five during a rehab appearance with low Single-A Rome on Sunday.
Cormier's rehab is expected to move to Richmond later this week where he will make a couple starts for Triple-A Richmond. He could be activated from the disabled list early in May.

Brian McCann, who injured a finger Sunday, could start Tuesday after sitting out Monday's game against a lefty.
He was due for a day off anyway. Brayan Pena is in for McCann tonight.

Jeff Francoeur went 4-for-4 with a homer, a double and four RBI in Monday's loss to the Marlins.
If only the Braves had anyone capable of driving him in. They're getting nothing from either left field or first base right now. Matt Diaz and Craig Wilson combined to go 0-for-7 behind Francoeur tonight, meaning the only run he scored came on his homer.

Kyle Davies took a loss after giving up five runs and walking six in four-plus innings Saturday against the Marlins.
Davies typically featured good command in the minors, but he's now walked 93 batters in 167 innings in the majors. He certainly doesn't have the kind of stuff to get away with that. Unless he improves, he's going to be bounced from the rotation to make room for Lance Cormier next month.

Brian McCann, who didn't start due to a sore finger, struck out as a pinch-hitter to end Monday's game against the Marlins.
He'll likely be in Tuesday's lineup.

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News from the 24th of April.

Mike Gonzalez returned to action on Monday and pitched a hitless inning against the Marlins.
Gonzalez hadn't pitched in a week because of a sore left elbow.

Brian McCann is questionable for Tuesday's game against against the Marlins due to his bruised finger.
"It's black and blue," McCann said of his fingertip, "but it's not serious." X-rays on the fingertip came back negative.

Lance Cormier reportedly felt some tightness in his triceps following his first rehab start with Single-A Rome on Sunday.
"I don't think I threw very hard," Cormier said. "My arm strength's not there like it was before. It's not surprising, when you take a month off from throwing." Cormier is scheduled to make his next rehab start Friday with Triple-A Richmond. He is going to need a few more weeks worth of rehab starts to build up his arm strength.

Brian McCann is in Tuesday's lineup after taking Monday off with a bruised finger.
McCann struck out as a pinch-hitter last night.

Mark Redman gave up six runs over three innings Tuesday against the Marlins, pushing his ERA up to 10.12.
Apparently, there was a good reason he lasted unsigned into March. Tonight's performance was especially discouraging after the Braves gave him four runs in the first and two in the second. If he doesn't step it up, he might be released once Lance Cormier is ready to come off the DL.

Scott Thorman went 3-for-5 with two RBI in the Braves' 11-6 defeat of the Marlins on Tuesday.
Finally some production from the bottom of the lineup for Atlanta. Thorman raised his average to .256 and stole his first base tonight. If he can get hot, he might find himself in the lineup versus lefties. Craig Wilson hasn't done anything so far.

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News from the 25th of April.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his fifth and sixth homers Tuesday for Double-A Mississippi.
Salatamacchia hit just .230 with nine homers in 313 at-bats in his first year in the Southern League. As a repeater, he's currently at .379/.471/.776 in 58 at-bats. Whether he's a first baseman with the Braves or a catcher elsewhere, he's going to be a quality major leaguer.

With Mark Redman getting lit up, the Braves are open to bringing Lance Cormier (shoulder) back after his rehab start Friday for Triple-A Richmond.
Cormier was expected to make at least two more rehab starts, but the Braves may figure he's a better bet to go five innings than Redman even if he's not completely stretched out. "If [Cormier] feels 100 percent [on Friday], I don't know why he couldn't go six [innings] up here," manager Bobby Cox said. "But we'll see."

Craig Wilson went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Wednesday and is now batting .122 this season.
Wilson is 5-for-41 with one extra-base hit and one RBI. The opportunity was there for him to secure more playing time for himself with a fast start, but he's been brutal, even though three-quarters of his at-bats have come against left-handers.

Tim Hudson struck out a career-high 12 on Wednesday, only to be denied a victory after taking a shutout into the ninth.
With the Braves up 3-0, Hudson gave up three straight singles to begin the ninth, causing manager Bobby Cox to bring in Bob Wickman. It didn't work out at all, as Wickman allowed a two-run double and later a bloop single over the drawn-in Chipper Jones. A passed ball scored the winning run. Cox probably made a mistake here by not going to one of his strikeout relievers, either Rafael Soriano or Mike Gonzalez. Wickman gets the job done when he's brought in at the start of the innings, but he's not the reliever to bail guys out of jams. Unfortunately, the ninth-inning meltdown will take the spotlight off another terrific showing from Hudson. He's pitching like a Cy Young contender.

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News from the 26th of April.

Lance Cormier was scratched from his scheduled rehab start for Triple-A Richmond due to recurring soreness in his right arm.
The Braves were hoping Cormier would be back in their rotation next week. He'll return to Atlanta, but he'll be making the trip for an examination. It looks like both Mark Redman and Kyle Davies will be in the rotation for the foreseeable future. The alternative would be to turn to Oscar Villarreal.

According to ESPN, the Braves have signed John Smoltz to a contract extension.
Smoltz is making $8 million this year after having his option picked up. The extension figures to be for one or two years.

The Braves are doomed if they have to stick with Redman. He hasn't proved anything besides the ability to lose and give up too many runs. You can't count on the awesome Braves offense for every game.

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News from the 28th of April.

Edgar Renteria collected four hits and two RBI as the Braves beat the Rockies 9-7 on Friday.
The multi-hit game was already Renteria's 10th of the season, and the outing raised his batting average to .344. Andruw Jones also added a three-run blast in the win, with Kelly Johnson reaching base four times and scoring on three occasions.

Bob Wickman entered the ninth inning with a 9-4 lead over the Rockies but was pulled after giving up three runs and retiring just two batters.
Wickman gave up two walks and a single before Garrett Atkins hit a three-run double with two outs. After Steve Coyler walked Todd Helton, Peter Moylan was brought in with the winning run at the plate and retired Matt Holliday to end the game and pick up a save. That Wickman was roughed up in a non-save situation is certainly frustrating for his owners, but it's not something that should affect his value.

Chuck James surrendered four runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Rockies tonight but picked up his third win of the season anyway.
James struck out four and walked one while yielding six hits. He departed with runners on first and third with one out in the sixth, but reliever Tyler Yates allowed both inherited runners to score. James has completed six innings in just one of his five starts, but he's pitched fairly well when he is in the game. He'll get the Phillies next time out.

An MRI on Lance Cormier's shoulder showed no structural damage.
"The MRI was very, very good," manager Bobby Cox said. "It's a great sign. He's fine." Cormier will likely rest his arm a few more days before resuming his injury rehab assignment. He could join the rotation in mid-May.

Jordan Schafer went 2-for-4 with a homer, four RBI and a walk Friday for low Single-A Rome.
Schafer is a repeated in the Sally Legaue, but he's just 20 and he's off to a .354/.415/.625 start this year. The talent is there for him to be a major league center fielder someday.

Matt Harrison allowed two hits in six scoreless innings Friday for Double-A Mississippi.
Harrison probably isn't ready yet, but with the Braves possessing only three reliable starters right now, the possibility exists that he'll be up in June or July. Harrison is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA this season.

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News from the 29th of April.

Chipper Jones hit a two-run single Saturday to maintain his recent torrid production.
Chipper failed to drive in a run over the first seven games, but he has seven homers and 16 RBI in the 16 games since. Saturday's big stroke was his only hit of the game as he dipped to .319. Jones is proving he can still be very productive when he's staying healthy. The only question owners must ask themselves is how long this will last.

John Smoltz celebrated his recent contract extension by tossing seven strong innings to help the Braves beat the Rockies 6-2 on Saturday.
In seven innings, he scattered nine hits and yielded just two runs for the win, in moving to 11-4 in his career against Colorado. Smoltz struck out eight, walked just one and lowered his ERA to 3.96 as he threw 101 pitches -- 69 for strikes. After giving up a two-run dinger in the first, Smoltz really settled down with six shutout innings. He even smacked a sixth-inning double to snap an 0-for-11 start to the season at the dish.

Macay McBride made his second start for Triple-A Richmond on Saturday and pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
It doesn't look like the Braves are planning on bringing McBride back as a starter. Instead, they're hoping the longer outings will help with his command issues. He has a 0.96 ERA in 9 1/3 innings for Richmond, but he has walked six in the process.

Chad Paronto, on the DL with a groin strain, will pitch for low Single-A Rome on Monday and Double-A Mississippi on Wednesday,
He'll rejoin Atlanta's pen after that. With Peter Moylan pitching well, Steve Colyer will probably be sent down to make room for him.

Scott Thorman went 4-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in a 9-7 loss in Colorado against the Rockies on Sunday.
Thorman hit a solo homer in the second, singled in one run in the fourth, and then finally singled in a pair of runs in the sixth. He also later added a double and an intentional walk. That the outing came at Coors Field lessens the impact a 4-for-4 performance can have on someone's job security, but it was still a big positive for Thorman. He entered the day with an unacceptable 708 OPS.

Bob Wickman blew a save against the Rockies on Sunday after giving up two runs while retiring just two batters in the bottom of the ninth.
Wickman entered a 9-7 game and promptly walked three of the first four batters he faced. An infield single and a groundout scored two runs to tie the game, and Wickman was pulled after hitting Chris Iannetta to load the bases. Luckily for Wickman, Tyler Yates retired Clint Barmes to send the game into extra innings. Wickman blew a save two outings ago and then gave up three runs in a non-save situation on Friday, but unless he's hurt, he's still going to get the next save opportunity the Braves generate. Should he continue to struggle or require some time off, Mike Gonzalez would likely step in.

Braves purchased the contract of second baseman-outfielder Willie Harris from Triple-A Richmond.
The 28-year-old had a great April in Richmond, hitting .362/.457/.603, but he's still Willie Harris. He's a career .238/.306/.294 hitter in 899 at-bats as a major leaguer, so he'd be a very weak option as a replacement for Ryan Langerhans, not that he could do any worse than Langerhans did during April.

The Braves' trade of Ryan Langerhans to Oakland appears to make Matt Diaz the club's primary left fielder.
For now. If Diaz doesn't start hitting .300 with decent power, it shouldn't be too difficult for the team to upgrade in a trade. Craig Wilson and Willie Harris also figure to see some time in left field.

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News from the 30th of April.

Triple-A Richmond's Gregor Blanco hit a grand slam Sunday off Norfolk's Sean Tracey.
It was his first homer since 2005. Perhaps if Kelly Johnson hadn't taken so well to the leadoff spot, Blanco would have been the choice to replace Ryan Langerhans on Atlanta's roster yesterday. He's hitting .338/.427/.415 in 65 at-bats for Richmond. He doesn't project as a regular, but he is a candidate to see time in left field for the Braves this season. So is Double-A Mississippi's Brandon Jones.

Braves activated RHP Chad Paronto from the 15-day disabled list.
Paronto had been scheduled to make two appearances in the minors before being activated, but because of Bob Wickman's injury, he'll do his rehabbing in the majors. Paronto has given up two runs in five innings this season.

Braves placed RHP Bob Wickman went on the disabled list with an upper back strain.
Pitching through pain may be admirable, but if Wickman had been up front about his troubles, there's a good chance the Braves would be 17-6 right now instead of 15-8. Wickman was awful in three straight appearances, blowing saves twice. The Braves didn't announce a closer in his place, but Mike Gonzalez figures to get more opportunities that Rafael Soriano.

Mike Gonzalez was credited with a win after pitching a perfect ninth Monday against the Phillies.
Manager Bobby Cox wouldn't name a closer with Bob Wickman out. It looks like he'll pick from Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano based on matchups. Gonzalez should probably be viewed as the favorite for saves, though the Braves need to be careful not to overuse him. He's pitched three times in four days, so perhaps Soriano will get the call in a save situation Tuesday.

Tim Hudson held the Phillies to two runs and four hits in eight innings in a no-decision Monday.
The Braves consistently failed with men on base until the ninth, so Hudson remained stuck on three wins. No one would have blamed him if he had an off outing tonight. In addition to losing his former Auburn teammate in Josh Hancock on Sunday, he's also mourning his grandmother, who passed away on the same day. He'll leave the Braves on Tuesday to attend her funeral, but he is expected to make his next start.

Andruw Jones hit a walkoff homer off Antonio Alfonseca to give the Braves a 5-2 win over the Phillies on Monday night.
He also singled and walked in the contest. Jones is still taking some bad swings at breaking balls, but his average has climbed pretty steadily lately and he's now at .261, which is right around where he finished in 2005 and 2006. Five homers and 19 RBI isn't bad for what was shaping up as an off month of April.

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News from the 1st of May.

Brian McCann left Tuesday's game in the second inning with a left hand injury.
McCann has the glove knocked off his left hand while committing catcher's interference in the second inning. He stayed in initially, but the pain turned out to be too much and he left after catching about 10 more pitches. Brayan Pena is in for him.

Brian McCann is day-to-day with a bruised left index finger after leaving Tuesday's game in the second inning.
X-rays were negative. Brayan Pena might have to start in his place tomorrow.

Long after Brian McCann left with a finger injury, Brayan Pena suffered a head injury on the final play of the top of the ninth inning Tuesday against the Phillies.
Pena's spot didn't come up in the bottom of the inning. It's unclear whether he would have been able to continue. Pena got hit hard by the followthrough of Greg Dobbs' swing and might have suffered a concussion. With both of their catchers hurt, the Braves might need to call up Corky Miller on Wednesday. Of course, they do have former catcher Craig Wilson to use in an emergency.

Chipper Jones hit a pair of homers Tuesday in the loss to the Phillies.
Jones became the second major leaguer and first National Leaguer to 10 homers this season. They've all come in 19 games, as he went the first seven without one.

Mark Redman was terrible again Tuesday, giving up four runs -- three earned -- in just 1 2/3 innings in a loss to the Phillies.
Even though Lance Cormier isn't ready to return from the DL, the Braves might just go ahead and release Redman now. He has a 10.62 ERA in five starts, and this is the third time than he hasn't gone past three innings. Oscar Villarreal could be an option to act as the Braves' fifth starter until Cormier is ready.

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News from the 2nd of May.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia has arrived in Atlanta in case the Braves need another catcher Wednesday.
If both Brian McCann (finger) and Brayan Pena (head) seem OK, Saltalamacchia will be sent back to Double-A without being activated. If one needs to go on the DL, Saltalamacchia will be added to the roster. He'd likely have some fantasy value if it's McCann placed on the DL.

The Braves are reportedly placing Mark Redman and Brayan Pena on the DL and calling up Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Since it's Pena and not Brian McCann going on the DL, Salty probably isn't worth picking up in NL-only leagues. No word yet what's wrong with Redman, other than the fact that he's pitching horribly. The Braves might have released him if he didn't accept the DL assignment.

Braves transfered RHP Tanyon Sturtze from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.
Sturtze won't be back from shoulder surgery this month. Perhaps he'll help the Braves in June or July.

Braves purchased the contract of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia from Double-A Mississippi.
Even though the Braves don't need an everyday catcher with Brian McCann still on the roster, they chose the top prospect over veteran Corky Miller. Saltalamacchia will be in the starting lineup tonight and might get a couple of more starts this weekend while McCann nurses a bruised finger. It's doubtful that he'll be worth using in NL-only leagues beyond that.

Braves purchased the contract of RHP Kevin Barry from Triple-A Richmond.
Barry was removed from the 40-man roster in October after posting a 5.61 ERA in one start and 18 relief appearances for the Braves last season. The 28-year-old is back now after going 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA in 17 1/3 innings for Richmond. It's possible he'll replace Mark Redman in the rotation, but he's better suited for helping out of the pen.

Braves placed catcher Brayan Pena on the 15-day disabled list with concussion-related symptoms.
Pena got hit in the helmet by a bat at the end of Tuesday night's game. It might have been just a day-to-day concussion, but with Brian McCann also getting hurt, the Braves couldn't afford to carry two injured catchers.

Braves placed LHP Mark Redman on the 15-day disabled list with a left toe ailment.
Redman, who had a 10.62 ERA in five starts, should pitch in the minors several times before he's again an option for the Braves. Oscar Villarreal and Kevin Barry are candidates to fill in for him until Lance Cormier comes off the DL.

Willie Harris made his second start in three days Wednesday and went 2-for-3 with an RBI against the Phillies.
Well, it's not like he can be any worse offensively than Ryan Langerhans was. Still, Harris as a starting left fielder against right-handers is quite a joke. Maybe he'll have a little short-term value in NL-only leagues, but the Braves won't be able to live with him for long.

Rafael Soriano pitched a scoreless ninth against the Phillies on Wednesday to earn the save in the Braves' 5-4 victory.
Mike Gonzalez looks like the favorite for saves with Bob Wickman sidelined, but he was used in the eighth with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard due up. He struck out both on his way to a perfect frame. Soriano, who now has two saves, has allowed two hits while pitching scoreless innings in his last six appearances.