Braves' News Tidbits

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News from the 4th of May.

Triple-A Richmond's Anthony Lerew yielded two hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings to win Thursday.
Lerew lowered his ERA to 1.37. He's allowed 20 hits, walked eight and struck out 15 in 26 1/3 innings to turn himself into a candidate for a spot in Atlanta's rotation. As inconsistent as he's been in the past, he's not someone to grab in NL-only leagues right now. Still, he'd be worth watching closely if he's called up.

Brian McCann is catching and batting fifth Friday versus the Dodgers.
McCann missed Wednesday's game with a finger injury sustained Tuesday.

Brian McCann reached base four times and drove in a pair of runs in the Braves' 4-0 shutout of the Dodgers tonight.
McCann was out on Wednesday with a finger injury, but looked fine tonight while singling, doubling, and drawing two walks.

Rafael Soriano pitched a scoreless ninth inning with the Braves up 4-0 against the Dodgers on Friday.
The Braves had been ahead since the fifth, but manager Bobby Cox used Mike Gonzalez with two left-handers due up in the eighth and then brought Soriano in even though it wasn't a save situation. Soriano retired all three batters he faced while Gonzalez gave up a pair of singles before getting out of a jam. This doesn't mean that Soriano is the interim closer, but it's fairly certain that Cox is going to play the matchups when deciding who should pitch the ninth.

John Smoltz picked up win No. 197 by shutting out the Dodgers for seven innings of work tonight.
Smoltz walked two and scattered six hits while striking out six. He was pulled after 102 pitches with the club ahead 4-0 and lowered his ERA to 3.35 with the strong performance. Smoltz will face the Padres and Nationals in his final two starts before turning 40-years-old in 11 days.

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News from the 6th of May.

Mike Gonzalez picked up his first save with a scoreless ninth Sunday versus the Dodgers.
Rafael Soriano pitched a scoreless eighth to set him up. Gonzalez hasn't allowed a run in any of his last 11 appearances. He'll probably get another save or two before Bob Wickman comes off the DL.

Kyle Davies gave up four runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings Sunday in a no-decision against the Dodgers.
Davies was putting together a fine outing until Wilson Betemit's two-run homer in the seventh. He struck out six and walked two, so this was still his best performance since his season debut on April 8. His rotation spot is safe for now with Mark Redman out.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia picked up his first two major league hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh, to help the Braves beat the Dodgers 6-4 on Sunday.
Salty was making his second start since being called up on Wednesday. With Brian McCann healthy, he's not an option in NL-only leagues.

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News from the 7th of May.

Kevin Barry and Anthony Lerew are the leading candidates to replace Mark Redman in the rotation and start Tuesday's game against San Diego.
Barry had a bullpen session on Saturday to prepare for Tuesday's start. We expect he will get the start unless the Braves need him out of the bullpen on Monday. He was 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Richmond before being called up.

Double-A Mississippi's Brandon Jones used a pair of homers to drive in five runs on Sunday.
Jones, likely the future in left field for the Braves, is batting .303/.346/.580 in 119 at-bats. He's a candidate to reach the majors in the second half of the year.

Edgar Renteria is out of the starting lineup for Monday's game because of the flu.
Chris Woodward is starting at shortstop in his place.

Chuck James was pulled after allowing two runs in 3 2/3 innings Monday versus the Padres.
James walked the pitcher, Chris Young, with his 96th pitch of the night, getting him replaced by Oscar Villarreal. Fortunately, Villarreal got out of a bases-loaded jam, preserving James' ERA. James has been terribly inefficient this year, never going more than six innings in a start. We have faith that he'll come around, but the Braves need it to happen soon, as they're also not getting many innings from the fourth and fifth starters.

The Braves are calling up Anthony Lerew to start Tuesday against the Padres.
Oscar Villarreal was a candidate, but he was needed in relief tonight. Kevin Barry or Steve Colyer could be sent down to make room.

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News from the 8th of May.

Braves designated LHP Steve Colyer for assignment.
Colyer gave up two runs, nine hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings. He should clear waivers, but since he's a hard-throwing left-hander, it's possible he won't.

Braves recalled RHP Anthony Lerew from Triple-A Richmond.
Lerew will get the start Tuesday against the Padres. If he does well, he might have a chance of sticking around for a while. He's worth watching.

Edgar Renteria is back in the lineup for Tuesday's game after sitting out yesterday with flu-like symptoms.

Anthony Lerew gave up just a pair of solo homers over six innings Tuesday against the Padres in his first major league start.
Lerew, who made eight relief appearances for the Braves over the previous two years, surrendered no other hits. He struck out seven and walked two. The showing has to earn him at least one more start, and if he succeeds again, he could remain in the rotation following Lance Cormier's return. NL-only leaguers need to watch him closely.

Andruw Jones drove in two of the Braves' three runs with a double and a single in Tuesday's win over the Padres.
There has been talk about moving Andruw out of the cleanup spot, but that's hardly necessary. He has five homers, 10 doubles and 22 RBI in 32 games. Sure, he's hitting .230 instead of his usual .260, but there's little reason to believe that won't change.

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News from the 9th of May.

Lance Cormier (shoulder) had a very encouraging bullpen session on Monday.
"It's still feeling good," Cormier said. "Obviously it's not going to be exactly where it was March 24, before that Houston [exhibition] start. But two or three starts and a couple of bullpens will get it close." Cormier hopes to begin a minor league rehab assignment next week.

Edgar Renteria was held out of Wednesday's starting lineup because of flu-like symptoms.
Renteria also missed Monday's game, but he played Tuesday. Chris Woodward started in his place tonight.

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New from the 10th of May.

Willie Harris was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI on Wednesday to help the Braves beat the Padres.
He also walked once and stole his fourth base of the year. It's unclear how long the Braves plan to keep trotting him out there, but performances like tonight's won't end his stint any faster. If you're in need of OF help in an NL-only league, Harris might be worth grabbing, if nothing else than for his steals.

John Smoltz topped old friend Greg Maddux on Wednesday as the Braves rallied past San Diego 3-2.
In his first start against Maddux since 1992, Smoltz improved to 5-1 with seven innings of seven-hit, two-run ball. He struck out seven and walked none while trimming his ERA to 3.25. The soon-to-be 40-year-old is now just a pair of wins shy of 200 for his career.

Kelly Johnson had a three-run double and a walk Thursday against the Padres.
Johnson was 2-for-17 with no walks over the previous four games, taking his OBP from .469 to .428. He's been an outstanding leadoff hitter for the Braves this season, and odds are that he'll remain quite effective in that role. Still, he's not this good.

Tim Hudson improved to 4-1 by allowing two runs and nine hits in six innings Thursday against the Padres.
Seven of the hits were singles, with the other two going for doubles. Hudson remained in today's game after taking a comebacker off his left wrist. X-rays taken after he left were negative, and he should make his next start.

Braves acquired first baseman Graham Koonce from the Royals for a player to be named.
Koonce likely would have been a decent stopgap first baseman a few years ago, but he's a week away from his 32nd birthday now and past his prime. The Braves probably won't ever call on him.

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News from the 11th of May.

Braves prospect Eric Campbell, out since April 12 with a thumb injury, might return next week.
Campbell was 5-for-28 for Single-A Myrtle Beach before suffering a sprained ligament in his left thumb.

Edgar Renteria is back in the lineup for Friday's game after missing three of the last four contests with flu-like symptoms.
Chris Woodward started in his place the last two days.

Jeff Francoeur and Andruw Jones homered on back-to-back pitches from Piraters starter Zach Duke in a 4-1 Braves' win on Friday.
The Pirates entered the sixth inning up 1-0, but Jones's two-run blast put the Braves ahead. Francoeur then added a solo blast, with Scott Thorman later adding an RBI double in the inning. Both Jones and Francoeur have six homers to go with 26 and 29 RBI respectively.

Mike Gonzalez picked up his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning against the Pirates on Friday.
Rafael Soriano was used in three straight games and four of the last five days, so Gonzalez was the choice to close even though just one left-hander was due up in the ninth. Barring a few left-handers being due up in the ninth tomorrow, Soriano will be the choice to close again.

Kyle Davies held the Pirates to one run in seven innings to record a win on Friday.
Davies gave up seven hits and walked two while striking out just one, but he was able to pitch out of all of the jams he created. That the Braves turned three double plays while he was in the game and a fourth after he left certainly helped. Davies hasn't looked particularly strong all season, but he's a fine option against the Nationals in Washington next time out.

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News from the 12th of May.

Chipper Jones was able to stay in Friday's game despite a tumble in a collision with Jose Bautista while running the bases.
Jones landed hard on both wrists, his left knee and thigh. He was in obvious discomfort for several minutes after the incident, and it wouldn't come as a surprise if one of the problems forces him to take Saturday off.

Blaine Boyer pitched two hitless innings Friday in his second appearance for Triple-A Richmond.
Boyer has thrown four scoreless innings since returning from a strained oblique. If he keeps it, the Braves may open up a spot for him in their pen next month.

Chipper Jones is resting Satursday following last night's collision with Jose Bauitsta.
"I gave him the day off," mangaer Bobby Cox said. "Both thumbs are sore and a quad above his knee is pretty sore. I would say he'll be back quicker than later, but I don't know about tomorrow (Sunday). We'll see." Pete Orr is filling in tonight.

Willie Harris went 4-for-5 with two doubles as the Braves' No. 2 hitter on Saturday.
He was caught stealing for the first time in five tries. Harris hit second and Edgar Renteria batted third with Chipper Jones sidelined. He'll likely keep batting at the bottom of the order most of the time.

Scott Thorman drove in five runs with two homers Saturday against the Pirates.
Thorman took Tony Armas Jr. and Johan Bayliss deep in an easy win for the Braves. The first baseman had been 4-for-25 with a 5/0 K/BB ratio this month.

Chuck James allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings in a victory over the Pirates on Saturday.
Much better. James had lasted six innings just once this season, so it was nice to see him go seven, even if it took facing one of the game's most aggressive and unproductive offenses to get him there. James is now 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA. We still like him as a mixed-league starter.

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News from the 13th of May.

Braves signed LHP Rheal Cormier to a minor league contract.
The Braves have better options than Cormier awaiting opportunities in Triple-A. The 40-year-old left-hander allowed three runs in three innings before being cut by the Reds last month.

When asked if he believes he'd miss Sunday's game, Chipper Jones said, "I would say it's a good possibility."
Jones collided with Jose Bautista on Friday and is dealing with thumb, wrist and quadriceps pain. Jones, however, said he doesn't feel he'll miss more time next week. The veteran is tied for first in the NL with 23 extra-base hits and is fourth with 10 home runs.

Lance Cormier (shoulder) continues to throw pain-free on the side and with one more good bullpen session on Sunday, he is set to go on a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
Cormier is scheduled to pitch May 19 and May 23 with the Mississippi Braves and May 28 with Richmond. If all goes well, Cormier could return to the rotation on June 2 when the Braves are in Chicago.

Anthony Lerew was removed after giving up five runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings Sunday against the Pirates.
Lerew turned in a fine first outing against the Padres, but his command betrayed him today, as he threw just 38 strikes among his 74 pitches and most of those seemed to go for hits. Lerew isn't guaranteed any additional starts. If he is kept in the rotation, he'd be facing the Red Sox in Boston next weekend.

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News from the 14th of May.

Chipper Jones (thumb) is expected to return to the starting lineup for Monday's game against Washington.
"Swinging is a little better than it was yesterday [Saturday], but it's not what it takes to be able to get out in front of 95 [mph]," said Jones. "I carry the knob of the bat in the palm, so when I swing and I follow through — when I roll over — it's too painful." Jones missed Saturday and Sunday's games after injuring his thumbs while running the bases.

John Smoltz left Monday's game in the seventh inning with a right arm injury sustained in a rundown against the Nationals.
Smoltz was hurt tagging Austin Kearns between third and homer. Hopefully, he just jammed his right hand on the play. Tyler Yates replaced him.

Brian McCann's eighth-inning home run Monday was all the offense Atlanta could muster against the Nats and Jason Bergmann.
In fact, McCann's homer broke up Bergmann's no-no. McCann's power numbers are sadly lagging behind his huge 2006 campaign, but with a .295 BA, he still has plenty of value.

According to Skip Caray, John Smoltz suffered a dislocated pinkie on his pitching hand making a tag in Monday's game.
It'd be good news if it's just dislocated. However, with a dislocation could come tendon damage. That's what's going to keep Joel Zumaya sidelined for three months. We might know tomorrow how much time Smoltz will miss. If the Braves need to replace him, they could bring back Mark Redman without having him make another rehab start.

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News from the 15th of May.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that X-rays on John Smoltz's dislocated pinkie were negative and he might not need to miss a start.
"It could have been [much worse]," said Smoltz. "I feel like I'm on top of my game right now, and I don't want something flukey to take me out or miss something or cause me to alter my mechanics or something. So I'll have to see day-by-day what this does. I don't need my pinkie for any specific pitches, and hopefully I can get the swelling out."

Chipper Jones missed his third straight start Monday due to sore thumbs.
Jones was initially in the lineup, but was scratched when he told manager Bobby Cox it was painful to hold a bat. He will try to play again on Tuesday.

Braves optioned RHP Kevin Barry to Triple-A Richmond.
Barry made one appearance in 13 days in the majors, giving up five runs in two innings.

Braves activated RHP Bob Wickman from the 15-day disabled list.
Wickman will go back into the closer's role right away, so get him active. Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez will resume setting up.

John Smoltz remained hopeful Tuesday of making his next scheduled start Saturday against the Red Sox.
Smoltz left Monday's game with a dislocated right pinkie. "I'm doing great," he said. "I couldn't ask for a better recovery. I think I'm going to be alright ... I'm not concerned about it like I was last night." Still, Wednesday's bullpen session will be the real test.

Tim Hudson moved to 5-1 by pitching another seven-inning gem Tuesday.
He was perfect through 4 2/3 innings, and wound up giving up just three hits and a run, striking out four and walking one. It took him just 84 pitches -- 56 of which were strikes -- to get through seven. Hudson has been so consistent this season, such a stark constrast to last year's adventures.

Edgar Renteria homered twice Tuesday as Atlanta beat Washington 6-2.
The Nats had won four straight, which is more than most people expected they'd get in any one week this year. Renteria went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI, homering in the first and again in the seventh to give him six long balls for the year. The Braves had dropped two straight, but tonight's win gives them six victories in eight games.

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News from the 16th of May.

X-rays on Chipper Jones' bruised palms and thumbs came back negative, but he missed his fourth straight game on Tuesday.
The switch-hitting Jones felt quite a bit of pain while trying to hit off a tee prior to Tuesday's game. "It's worse today than yesterday [Tuesday]," Jones said. "I could probably be hitting right-handed, to a certain extent. But [hitting left-handed] is impossible." He will likely be out of the lineup again on Wednesday.

Braves recalled LHP Macay McBride from Triple-A Richmond.
McBride had a 3.13 ERA and a 24/7 K/BB ratio in 23 innings since being sent down last month. Five of his seven appearances were starts, but he's expected to resume working out of the pen in the majors.

Braves placed LHP Mike Gonzalez on the 15-day disabled list with a left elbow strain.
Gonzalez said he didn't have any pain, but his velocity was well down in Monday's game. His elbow hasn't been quite right at any point since last August, and he may require surgery at some point.

John Smoltz will start Saturday against the Red Sox after throwing a bullpen session without incident on Wednesday.
Smoltz dislocated his right pinkie finger in his outing Monday against the Nationals.

Chipper Jones is back at third base on Wednesday after missing four games with bruised hands.
Jones is still likely to be in some pain while swinging the bat, so he might not hit right away. Still, you'll want him active.

Kyle Davies lasted just 4 2/3 innings Wednesday as he lost to the surging Nationals.
He gave up five hits and six runs -- just two earned -- while walking two and striking out three. So much for the solid outing he had last week. Other than that start, he's pretty much been ineffective all season. The Braves have dropped three of their past four games.

Andruw Jones was 2-for-4 with two RBI Wednesday.
His two-run single staked the Braves to an early lead they let slip away to a Nationals team that's suddenly won five of six. With another two whiffs tonight, Andruw's mounting strikeout total -- 44 in 40 games -- is definitely a big part of the reason he's batting just .231, but he remains a very productive bat with 30 RBI.

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News from the 17th of May.

Braves activated catcher Brayan Pena from the 15-day disabled list.
Pena won't have much to do with Jarrod Saltalamacchia sticking around. He's probably not looking at more than a couple of starts per month.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia will stick with the Braves now that Craig Wilson has been released.
Saltalamacchia has been taking some grounders at first base, so he can play there against lefties and continue to back up Brian McCann. We think he'd be quite a bit better off in the minors, but maybe he'll be able to help the Braves in a limited role. He has a little fantasy value in NL-only leagues anyway.

Getting a start against a lefty, Scott Thorman went 1-for-3 with a run scored in the loss to the Nationals.
Thorman will play against lefties with some frequency now that Craig Wilson is gone. Jarrod Saltalamacchia will also see time at first base versus southpaws, but since Brian McCann is also a left-handed hitter, the Braves will want him to spend some time catching against lefties.

Braves optioned catcher Brayan Pena to Triple-A Richmond.
Pena had just been activated earlier in the day. He's losing his job to Jarrod Saltalamacchia after going 5-for-23 with a homer this season. Saltalamacchia is 3-for-15.

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News from the 19th of May.

An MRI Friday on Mike Gonzalez's left elbow showed no structural damage.
Gonzalez complaied of no soreness before going on the DL Wednesday. He's eligible to return May 31 and could be activated then.

Anthony Lerew was pulled after giving up three runs and five hits in two innings Saturday against the Red Sox.
No injury was reported, but it seemed like an awfully quick hook, given that it was the first game of a doubleheader. The Braves ended up using six pitchers in the loss to the Red Sox, so they'll need a quality outing from John Smoltz tonight. Speculation was that Lerew would lose his rotation spot to Mark Redman with a poor outing today, but Redman was even worse in relief, giving up four runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Anthony Lerew complained of some soreness in his elbow after going just two innings against the Red Sox on Saturday.
"I've had a little soreness in my elbow the last month or so," Lerew said. "I've just got to get some treatment on it and see what's going on in there." If Lerew lands on the DL, it will probably put Mark Redman back into Atlanta's rotation.

After originally being dropped in the order, Andruw Jones was a late scratch for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.
No word yet on the reason for the move. Willie Harris, who was supposed to DH, started in center, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia was added to the lineup as the DH.

Andruw Jones didn't start the second game of Saturday's doubleheader because of a sore back.
Consider Jones questionable for Sunday's game. These things never seem to keep him out for long.

Brian McCann doubled three times and drove in two runs from the cleanup spot in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.
McCann was set to hit cleanup even before Andruw Jones was scratched. He'll have additional value for however long the switch lasts.

Kelly Johnson, who failed to reach base for the first time in 39 games in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, missed the cycle by a single and drove in five runs in the nightcap against the Red Sox.
Johnson had been homerless since hitting his fifth of the season April 25. There was no way he was going to keep up his April pace all season long, but he should remain a fine leadoff hitter for the Braves.

John Smoltz, who left his last start with a dislocated pinkie, struck out seven in seven innings in the Braves' 14-0 win over the Red Sox on Saturday night.
Today's game would have been a lot more interesting had Bobby Cox followed Terry Francona's lead and moved Smoltz up to the first game to face Diasuke Matsuzaka. With Anthony Lerew going, the Braves lost that one 13-3. Atlanta still has to like its chances of taking two out of three with Tim Hudson facing Kason Gabbard on Sunday. The win moves Smoltz to 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA. His finger obviously isn't going to be an issue.

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News from the 20th of May.

A baseball official familiar with the situation told the Journal-Constitution on Saturday that Willy Aybar has recently admitted himself as a patient in a substance-abuse rehabilitation clinic.
The Braves have not commented on the status of Aybar other than to confirm he remains suspended without pay. Aybar has been suspended since April 15 for failing to report for physical therapy while on the disabled list for a wrist injury.

Lance Cormier gave up four runs and four hits in three innings in his rehab start Saturday for Double-A Mississippi.
He retired the side in order in the first and third innings, but in the second gave up a double, two singles and the homer. He added two strikeouts and no walks and threw 38 pitches. He's scheduled to make two more rehab starts before joining the Braves rotation.

Braves recalled infielder Martin Prado from Triple-A Richmond.
There's not enough at-bats available to justify permanently using Prado as a bench player, so this is probably a short-term move until another pitcher is needed. Prado was hitting .301/.370/.390 for Richmond.

Braves placed RHP Anthony Lerew on the 15-day disabled list with soreness in his right elbow.
Mark Redman could move into the rotation in Lerew's place after the right-hander struggled in his last two outings. It's possible Lerew will be optioned to Triple-A once healthy.

Andruw Jones is back in the lineup Sunday after sitting out the second game of Saturday's doubleheader with a sore back.
He's batting sixth today. With the Red Sox throwing a left-hander, the Braves have Jeff Francoeur in the cleanup spot and Matt Diaz hitting fifth.

Andruw Jones struck out all five times he was up Sunday against the Red Sox.
The last came when Jones was the tying run with two outs in the top of the ninth. It's likely that his back had something to do with his miserable performance today, but he's struggling mightily anyway. It could be two or three weeks before he returns to the cleanup spot.

Tim Hudson took just his second loss after giving up six runs in 4 2/3 innings Sunday versus Boston.
Hudson may be back in old form this year, but even in his best days with the A's, he never had much luck against the Red Sox. Of the teams he has at least eight decisions against, Boston is the only team versus which he doesn't have a winning record. He's 3-8 with a 6.22 ERA against them, including a 1-5 mark and an 8.49 ERA at Fenway Park.