Braves' News Tidbits

[General]

Chuck James is expected to join the Braves starting rotation sometime this week.
James threw seven innings and allowed eight hits and three runs in a Sunday's start for Triple-A Richmond against Pawtucket. He notched the no-decision, but is 1-0 with a 2.67 ERA in seven games (six starts) in the minors. There's a chance he'll start Saturday against the Devil Rays.

Manager Bobby Cox confirmed Horacio Ramirez (head) will start Thursday's series finale against Toronto.
After throwing three innings of a simulated game and doing some fielding drills on Sunday, Ramirez felt he was finally over his lingering concussion. "Thursday it is — I'm ready to go," said Ramirez. "I felt normal [in Sunday's workout"

[Giants666]

Braves release Kelton, make several moves

The Atlanta Braves released Richmond outfielder David Kelton Monday night, in the start of a series of moves at the midway point of the minor league season.

Kelton never got on track as a Braves’ farmhand. He went to big league camp with an outside chance at a spot on the Atlanta roster, but struggled in March. Kelton hit only .225 in 17 games in spring training, and the Braves then sent him to be a starter in Richmond. But Kelton could never get his bat going. He hit only .216 with Richmond and had only one home run and 10 RBI in 153 at bats.

The LaGrange, Georgia resident was a top prospect for the Cubs for many years before signing as a six-year minor league free agent last winter. Kelton, who played in 22 big league games for Chicago, has a career .269 minor league average entering this season, but was never able to click in a Braves’ uniform.

The release of Kelton opened the door for the promotion of Gregor Blanco from AA Mississippi. Blanco made great strides this season in his return to Double-A. After hitting .252 last season with the Braves, he returned to Pearl and hit .287. The lefty-hitting outfielder had a .397 OBP (sixth best in the Southern League) along with 17 stolen bases (fifth best in the league). Blanco does not have much power, but his ability to get on base should help the Richmond lineup, which will have to reconfigure now with Scott Thorman in Atlanta.

Blanco was replaced on the Mississippi roster with Brandon Jones, who was having a solid season in Myrtle Beach. Jones was hitting only .257 with the Pelicans, but he had 7 home runs and 35 RBI. The Braves are clearly pushing Jones, but they feel he is one of their better prospects and can handle the challenge of going to Double-A.

Joining Jones on the Mississippi roster in a few days will be Matt Harrison, who was having a superb season for the Pelicans. The lefty from North Carolina was 8-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 12 starts. He had allowed 69 hits in 76.1 innings, with only 13 walks, and 58 strikeouts. In Harrison’s 63 career minor league starts, he’s 27-15 with a 3.31 ERA, and has only 62 walks in 348.1 innings.

Harrison will comprise a very solid starting rotation in Mississippi for the second half, particularly with the demotion of Anthony Lerew to Double-A over the weekend. Lerew, who battled back problems in the first half of the season in Richmond, will be brought along slowly. He’ll probably piggyback with Dave Coggin, a former big leaguer trying to comeback from an injury. They will join Matt Wright and lefties Chris Waters and Francisley Bueno in the rotation. Plus, Sean White, currently on the DL with a shoulder strain, should be back soon as well.

Replacing Harrison in Myrtle Beach’s rotation will be Jo Jo Reyes, who will start the Sally League All-Star Game Tuesday night. Reyes has been outstanding in Rome, posting an 8-1 record with a 2.99 ERA in 13 starts. The lefty has allowed 62 hits in 75.1 innings, with 25 walks and 84 strikeouts. Finally healthy after having Tommy John surgery two years ago and tearing his ACL last summer, Reyes could be on the Chuck James fast track up the minor league ladder. He and Harrison are the Braves’ top two lefty pitching prospects.

Joey Devine will join the Myrtle Beach bullpen when they start the second half with a series in Salem. Devine has been rehabbing a back problem down at the Braves’ complex in Orlando. He pitched in four games in Myrtle Beach last season after being drafted in the first round out of N.C. State. Devine pitched in two games for Atlanta the first week of the season, but was hit around hard and then was diagnosed with the back problem.

Lefty Devin Anderson will also be added to the Myrtle Beach roster. The reliever was 2-0 for Rome in 18 games with a 1.46 ERA. He allowed 31 hits in 37 innings pitched, along with 27 strikeouts.

Anderson will be replaced in the Rome bullpen by Brad Nelson, who had pitched in three games for Myrtle Beach after being called up from Extended Spring Training a few weeks ago. Nelson pitched in 20 games for Rome in 2004, but missed most of last year with an arm injury.

With Brandon Jones gone, the Pelicans will need a big bat for their lineup, and they will get one with the pending promotion of Rome first baseman Isaiah Ka’aihue. Sometimes called “little Big Cat” for his resemblance to Andres Galarraga, Ka’aihue had a monster first half for the Rome Braves. He was tied for the league lead with 15 home runs, first in slugging percentage (.622) and OPS (1.083), second in OBP (.461) and walks (51), third in average (.333), and fourth in RBI (49).

Ka’aihue will play tonight in the Sally League All-Star Game, but will report to Salem later this week to play for the Pelicans.

Manny Rodriguez will take Ka’aihue’s spot at first base for Rome. Rodriguez was called up a few weeks ago from Extended Spring Training and has hit only .213 in his first 47 at bats. Rodriguez could eventually be joined by Josh Morris, Atlanta’s 12th round two weeks ago. Morris’s Georgia Bulldogs got kicked out of the College World Series Monday, so he could sign with the Braves later in the week.

Brandon Monk was demoted to Danville Monday, so Rome will now have Robert Marcial and Derrick Arnold see time for them at second base.

And finally, with Jo Jo Reyes heading to Myrtle Beach, Rome’s pitching staff will be juggled a bit in the second half. Jake Stevens, demoted to Rome last week, and Jairo Cuevas will be on their own in the rotation. But the other three spots will be in a piggyback situation. Beau Jones will now piggyback with right-hander Jose Santiago, who has pitched 12 games out of the Rome bullpen so far. The Braves will move lefty reliever Adam Stanley into a piggyback with Asher Demme, who should be back off the disabled list later this week. And Carlos Rivas, who has been outstanding in his first three starts, will piggyback with Jeff Lyman, due back soon off the disabled list.

A piggyback is when the Braves try to get multiple pitchers significant innings. Pitchers paired together will usually swap back and forth as the starter and reliever when their day is up. The limit is based solely on pitch counts, but it allows a number of pitchers to get good action.

[General]

Jorge Sosa, who is 1-9 with a 5.40 ERA, is being assigned to the bullpen and will work late in games.
If he pitches well over his first couple of chances, he could overtake Kenny Ray and become Atlanta's closer. With Sosa in the pen, the Braves will start Lance Cormier on Saturday and likely Chuck James on Sunday. John Thomson could be back at the end of the month to reclaim a spot

[General]

Tim Hudson was charged with five runs over seven innings in a loss to the Blue Jays tonight.
Hudson gave up seven hits and walked five while striking out just four and throwing 68-of-114 pitches for strikes. The loss drops the Braves 14.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East, their largest deficit since the 1988 season. They've also lost nine straight and 19-of-22 games. Their current 30-42 record is the club's worst since the end of the 1990 season.

[General]

Anthony Lerew allowed one run in four innings Wednesday in his first start since being demoted to Double-A Mississippi.
Lerew, who returned last week after missing a couple of weeks with a strained back, had a 9.38 ERA in 48 innings for Triple-A Richmond. There's still plenty of potential here, but it now seems highly unlikely that he'll contribute this season

Carlos Almanzar (shoulder) has pitched two innings for Double-A Mississippi in the past week.
Almanzar, who underwent Tommy John surgery last season, is still at least a month away from providing help to the Braves' bullpen

[General]

Horacio Ramirez gave up seven hits and walked six tonight, but he managed to limit the Jays to just one run in 6 2/3 innings.
One of the walks was intentional. Ramirez, who was pitching for the first time since taking a comebacker off his forehead on June 11, stranded the bases loaded in the first and fourth innings. He was pulled in the seventh with the bases loaded again, but Tyler Yates was able to get out of the jam.

[General]

Braves manager Bobby Cox confirmed that Chuck James would be recalled to start Sunday against the Rays.
James will be a solid option in NL-only leagues right away. He should remain in the rotation after John Thomson returns.

[General]

Brian Jordan will be out at least four to six weeks with a non-displaced fracture of his right clavicle.
The Braves discovered the injury after Jordan had a setback throwing before the game. Jordan was hitting .214/.269/.345 before going on the DL Sunday, so this isn't much of a loss.

Braves placed RHP Phil Stockman on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
The Braves needed a fresh arm after John Smoltz's short outing on Friday, so Stockman was DL bound regardless of the severity of his injury. He has a 2.25 ERA in four appearances for the Braves.
Braves purchased the contract of RHP Kevin Barry from Triple-A Richmond.
Barry did some nice work as a reliever the past two years, but it never earned him a callup from the Braves. He was also bypassed twice in the Rule 5 draft. The 27-year-old resumed starting this year for the first time since college and had a 3.26 ERA and a 63/27 K/BB ratio in 77 1/3 innings for Richmond. If his command holds up, he could be of some use as a middle reliever. The Braves, though, might send him right back to Triple-A on Sunday to open up a spot for Chuck James.

Braves recalled RHP Blaine Boyer from Triple-A Richmond and placed him on the 60-day disabled list.
An expensive way to free a 40-man roster spot. Boyer will now collect a major league salary for at least the next two months and accrue service time. The right-hander has been out since April following shoulder surgery. He might not be back this season.

John Smoltz plans to throw his scheduled Sunday bullpen session and decide on his status for his next start afterward.
Smoltz left his start Friday against the Devil Rays with a right groin strain. "In two days I should know what's going to happen," Smoltz said. "I'm just so glad to be going to bed on a win.

[DravenX]

They also designated Mike Remlinger for assignment.

[General]

Yeah, I read.

Kyle Davies was only able to throw eight batting practice pitches on Saturday before his groin began to hurt.
The Braves hoped that Davies would be able to throw for around five minutes, but he almost immediately felt pain in the surgically repaired groin. He hopes to return by early August.

John Smoltz reported no soreness in his groin on Saturday and expects to make his Wednesday start.
Smoltz will test the groin during a bullpen session on Sunday. "I think I'll be fine, I really do," Smoltz said. "I don't think I'll have any apprehension going out to pitch.

Braves recalled LHP Chuck James from Triple-A Richmond.
James will start Sunday against the Rays and is worth using immediately in NL-only leagues. Just don't be surprised if he's more of an asset in WHIP than in ERA.

Braves designated LHP Mike Remlinger for assignment.
It's hard to believe the Braves felt it was a good idea to cut a reliever with a 4.03 ERA, but Remlinger did have a 1.61 WHIP and he was getting worse as the year went on. There still might be a few teams out there interested in his services

[General]

John Smoltz completed his bullpen session Sunday without aggravating his strained right groin. He expects to pitch against the Yankees this week.
"I'm confident that Wednesday will go fine," Smoltz said. "I'm going to throw again tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a tuneup for Wednesday. Something would have to really go wrong for me not to pitch on Wednesday." Because it's so hard to imagine anything going really wrong for the Braves this year.

Chuck James picked up a win in his first big league start by limiting the Devil Rays to just one run over eight innings of work on Sunday.
Today was pretty much James in a nutshell. He struck out eight, walked four, and posted a 2/13 GB/FB ratio. By allowing just three hits, none of which ended up on the wrong side of the outfield fence, James was able to keep the opposition's runs to a minimum. That his command may not be completely ready combines with his frequent flyball tendencies to limit his short-term potential, but James is worth picking up in NL-only formats anyway. He can be used against the Orioles next time out.

Jorge Sosa pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a 4-1 game against the Devil Rays on Sunday to pick up his first save of the season.
Sosa picked up a win on Friday with two scoreless innings of relief and it appears he's quickly gained manager Bobby Cox's trust as a reliever. He's probably the favorite for saves at the moment, so Sosa is worth picking up in mixed leagues even if he may not help your squad in ERA or WHIP

Todd Pratt delivered a three-run homer in the seventh inning off Devil Rays starter Mark Hendrickson on Sunday.
The homer was the difference in the game as the Braves won 4-1. Pratt also drove in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning on Friday. The Braves have just five wins in their last 26 games

[General]

Matt Harrison surrendered four runs in six innings Sunday in his debut for Double-A Mississippi.
Harrison, a 20-year-old left-hander, was 8-4 with a 3.10 ERA, 77 H and 60/16 K/BB in 81 1/3 innings for Single-A Myrtle Beach. He's a potential middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Braves.

[General]

Horacio Ramirez pitched eight innings and allowed one run Tuesday in a victory over the Yankees.
Impressive. Ramirez has turned in five strong efforts in six starts since coming off the DL, with his only poor outing being the one that was ended by a line drive he took off his forehead. Overall, he's 3-2 with a 3.70 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. He'll continue to be quite a bit better in ERA than WHIP.

Given a four-run lead, Jorge Sosa gave up a solo homer to Melky Cabrera before finishing the ninth against the Yankees on Tuesday.
Sosa would have gotten a save situation, but the Braves scored twice in the top of the ninth, making it a 5-1 game. Other than the homer, he retired the other three batters he faced.

John Smoltz (groin) was pain-free during a bullpen session on Monday.
"No problems at all," Smoltz said. "I should be fine." He will start Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

[General]

The Braves are expected to activate Chris Reitsma (arm) from the disabled list on Friday.
Reitsma has felt good during two bullpen sessions. He will have one more on Wednesday and then will likely be activated from the DL

[General]

Chuck James recorded his second straight victory by limiting the Orioles to three runs over six innings of work tonight.
James was making his second big league start and hadn't allowed a run through the first five innings of work this evening. A pair of homers by Jeff Conine and Corey Patterson in the sixth drove in three runs to tie the game at 3-3, but the Braves added two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-3 lead. Chad Paronto, Ken Ray, and Jorge Sosa held the lead and thus afforded James the win. The two strong outings may get NL-only leaguers a little too excited about James, but he's well worth using most weeks. Starting against the Cardinals next week may not be one of them, however.

Jorge Sosa picked up his second save of the season by throwing a scoreless ninth inning in a 5-3 game against the Orioles on Friday.
Sosa has pitched decent enough since moving to a relief role, so he'll continue to get the ball in save situations at least in the short-term. He's never more than a few poor outings away from losing that title and he doesn't figure to be very good in any other category, but Sosa is worth using in almost all formats right now. For the sixth time this season, John Smoltz was denied a win by Atlanta's pen after leaving with a lead Wednesday. He gave up one run in seven innings against the Yankees.
Chien-Ming Wang was nearly as good, surrendering two runs in eight innings, and the Yankees tied the game in the bottom of the eighth when Jason Giambi homered off Kenny Ray. Smoltz showed no ill effects today after suffering a strained groin in his previous start. He's 4-5 with a 3.73 ERA.

Braves optioned RHP Kevin Barry to Triple-A Richmond.
Barry made just one appearance, throwing three scoreless innings against the Yankees on Monday. He'll be back.

Sucks that Barry got sent down for trash like Reitsma.