Braves' News Tidbits

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News from the 6th of August.

Buddy Carlyle (elbow) had no issues during Sunday's bullpen session and will make his scheduled start on Tuesday.
Carlyle hyperextended his elbow while swinging at a pitch on Wednesday.

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News from the 7th of August.

Andruw Jones, who sat out the last two games with a sore left elbow, was back in the starting lineup against the Mets on Tuesday.
As expected. Jones singled and walked to score a run in the contest.

Jeff Francoeur went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBI against the Mets on Tuesday.
Francoeur also doubled twice and singled once while scoring a pair of runs. The right fielder is batting .356 with five homers and 23 RBI since the start of July. Seven of his 13 homers this season have come against left-handed pitching.

Buddy Carlyle, who hyperextended his elbow in his last start and was forced to leave early, limited the Mets to three runs over five innings of work to pick up a win on Tuesday.
Carlyle walked one, struck out one, and gave up six hits. The elbow didn't appear to be a problem as he improved to 7-3 to go with a solid 4.28 ERA. The win brings the Braves within 3 1/2 games of the Mets for the NL East lead.

Braves optioned RHP Joey Devine to Triple-A Richmond.
Devine made one appearance in four days, throwing a scoreless inning.

Braves recalled infielder Martin Prado from Triple-A Richmond.
Prado hit .179 in 28 at-bats during his time with the Braves a couple of months ago. He'll be used seldomly as the Braves' seventh infielder.

Julio Franco cleared waivers Tuesday and accepted his minor league assignment.
Franco is expected to rejoin the Braves in September.

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News from the 8th of August.

Julio Franco has accepted an assignment with Single-A Rome.
"If he just plays three or four games out of every eight games, that's plenty," manager Bobby Cox said. "We just want him to stay in shape." According to Cox, Franco may also play for Single-A Myrtle Beach if he decides to take his family to the coast for a few days. He has been guaranteed to be promoted on September 1.

Chipper Jones had another big game against the Mets Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
He was also robbed of another hit by a leaping Lastings Milledge. Chipper hit a two-run double to reach 60 RBI and then scored on a Mark Teixeira single. He's now batting .340. Andruw Jones, on the other hand, continued to struggled. Dropped to seventh in the batting order for the second time this year, he was 0-for-4 and hit into a game-ending double play.

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News from the 9th of August.

Mike Hampton, who is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, threw from 45 feet on Wednesday and reported no pain in his surgically repaired elbow.
"After two years of not playing, I realize I'm not ready to retire," Hampton said. "I'm planning to definitely play some more." Hampton will play winter ball this year and plans to be ready for spring training.

Chipper Jones smacked a three-run homer in the fifth inning Thursday and Mark Teixeira followed with a solo blast as the switch-hitters went back-to-back off Mets starter John Maine.
It was the first of what figures to be several back-to-back homers for the Jones-Teixeira duo. Jones' bomb traveled 470 feet and gave the Braves a 4-2 lead, which Teixeira added to one at-bat later.

Aided by Willie Harris' amazing catch, Oscar Villarreal earned his first save Thursday, recording the final two outs in the Braves' 7-6 win over the Mets.
Atlanta entered the ninth inning up four, but Tyler Yates imploded and the Mets drew to within a run following David Wright's two-run homer. Rather than bring in closer Bob Wickman, manager Bobby Cox turned to Villarreal, who promptly served up a would-be homer to Carlos Delgado that Harris made an extraordinary leaping catch on for the second out. While it wasn't quite Endy Chavez in last year's playoffs, Harris' homer-robbing grab is sure to be a highlight reel staple for a long time.

Tim Hudson picked up his 13th victory Thursday, holding the Mets to three runs over six innings.
Hudson wasn't great, but kept the ball on the ground and in the ballpark, improving to 13-5 as the Braves moved to within 3.5 games of the Mets in the NL East. Hudson has now won seven straight decisions.

Bob Wickman returned to Atlanta Thursday to undergo an MRI on his sore forearm.
That explains why Oscar Villarreal got the call in a one-run game Thursday afternoon. Wickman indicated that he's had soreness for the past two weeks, but is hopeful that it's nothing serious. While Villarreal got the save Thursday, Octavio Dotel or perhaps Rafael Soriano would be the odds-on favorite for ninth-inning duties if Wickman misses extended time.

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News from the 10th of August.

An MRI showed no damage in Bob Wickman's forearm. He showed up at the park Friday and told manager Bobby Cox he was ready to close.
Cox said he'd be willing to use him in a save situation. Keep him active for now.

The Braves have reportedly placed Octavio Dotel on the DL with shoulder inflammation.
Dotel had been struggling since joining the Braves, so this doesn't come as much of a surprise. Manny Acosta is on the way up to replace him.

Braves recalled RHP Manny Acosta from Triple-A Richmond;
The 26-year-old Acosta, who was released by the Yankees in 2003, turned himself into a prospect last year and will make his major league debut now after amassing a 2.26 ERA in 59 2/3 innings for Richmond. His stuff is plenty good enough for the majors, but he is wild, possibly too much so for him to succeed right now.

Braves placed RHP Octavio Dotel on 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 8, with a strained right shoulder.
With Dotel hurt and Rafael Soriano struggling, the Braves will rely even more on Peter Moylan as a setup man. Bob Wickman should be available to continue to close.

Andruw Jones went 0-for-4 on Friday and is 2-for-16 since returning from a sore left elbow.
Each time it looks like Andruw has finally it around, he seems to fall back into bad habits again. It might be injury related this time, but that doesn't make it any less annoying for his fantasy owners.

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News from the 11th of August.

Octavio Dotel says his shoulder injury isn't serious and he hopes to return from the disabled list the first day he is eligible.
"It's not like my rotator cuff or anything, nothing serious like a shoulder or elbow," said Dotel. "This injury isn't to be worried about, not anything dangerous." Dotel will rest his shoulder by not throwing for a few days.

Bob Wickman returned to action on Saturday and pitched a scoreless ninth for a save.
Wickman gave up a leadoff double while working with a two-run lead, but he reitired the next three batters he faced. Because of a sore right forearm, it was his first appearance since Sunday.

Lance Cormier lasted four-plus innings and gave up four runs against the Phillies Saturday in his return to the rotation.
Cormier was given six runs to work with through four innings, but he still couldn't stick around long enough to qualify for the win. The Braves would have been better off hoping that Jo-Jo Reyes would bounce back.

Kelly Johnson went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and two walks Saturday in the Braves' 7-5 win over the Phillies.
Johnson has received a chance to play everyday again and bat close to the top of the order because of Edgar Renteria's injury. He'll probably resume sitting against lefties after Renteria returns, but it'd be for the best if he was reinstalled as the primary leadoff hitter over Willie Harris. He's been the far more effective player lately, especially after factoring in that Harris has been caught on six of his eight steal attempts since the break.

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News from the 12th of August.

Andruw Jones plans to have an X-ray or MRI exam on his aching left elbow when the Braves return to Atlanta.
Jones doesn't want to sit out against Philadelphia this weekend though. "Not against these guys," he said. "Every time I swing and miss, it hurts. It affects you when you make contact and when you don't. It's still no excuse for not producing." Before Saturday, he had just a .199 average in 87 games since May 2.

Edgar Renteria (sprained ankle) is eligible to come off the disabled list Saturday, but he might not be ready for another week.
He has hit .371 with three homers and seven RBI in nine games vs. the Phillies this season.

Buddy Carlyle dropped to 7-4 after giving up four runs -- three earned -- in 4 1/3 innings Sunday versus the Phillies.
Carlyle has one more win than he does quality starts, and the Braves can't count on him maintaining an ERA in the mid-4.00s the rest of the way. They still have to be on the lookout for more pitching help, though any acquisition would simply make Carlyle the fifth starter, not knock him out of the rotation.

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News from the 14th of August.

Bob Wickman blew his first home save of the year Tuesday, but then bagged the win as the Braves came through in the bottom of the ninth.
Wickman has blown six saves in 25 tries this year, but he'd been 9-for-9 at home and hadn't been scored on in his last 19 2/3 innings at Turner Field.

Chipper Jones' only hit in five at-bats turned out to be the game-winning double as the Braves beat San Francisco 5-4 on Tuesday.
In a game in which Bobby Cox set the all-time ejections mark and Bob Wickman blew a save at home for the first time all year, Chipper was the hero, smacking his 29th double to drive in Willie Harris. Yunel Escobar had a huge game for Atlanta, going 4-for-4 with a run and two RBI.

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News from the 15th of August.

Willy Aybar underwent season-ending surgery Tuesday to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right hand.
The surgery puts to rest a very tumultuous season for Aybar. He will need 6-8 weeks to recover and then hopes to play in winter ball. It remains unclear if the Braves will bring the troubled third baseman back next season.

An X-ray of Andruw Jones' aching elbow Tuesday showed no breaks or structural damage.
Jones says his elbow has bothered him since he hyperextended it making a catch over the fence on May 27. It isn't likely to be 100 percent until after the season.

Tim Hudson tossed eight solid innings Wednesday to earn his 14th win of the season.
He scattered eight hits and three runs -- one on a solo homer to Barry Bonds. Hudson struck out five, walked one, hit one and had two balks. With 14 wins, he's matched his highest win total since 2003. Bob Wickman pitched a shutout inning to nail down his 20th save.

Andruw Jones came through with a key two-run double to help spark the Braves to a 6-3 win over the Giants on Wednesday.
Jones' double was the big hit in a four-run uprising in the sixth inning that snapped a tie and put the game away for Atlanta. Jones also scored in the inning. It wasn't all rosy, however, as the hit was his only safety of the night, he struck out again, and he stranded four runners. Jones has managed just 64 runs and 76 RBI while striking out an alarming 114 times. He could really use some down time for his balky elbow, but while the Braves remain in the thick of the race, there will be no rest available.

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News from the 16th of August.

Edgar Renteria (sprained ankle) is healing faster than expected and he could return from the disabled list early next week.
"He's coming along real good, better than expected," manager Bobby Cox said. "I don't know if he can play [Saturday], but shortly thereafter probably." Renteria was placed on the DL on Aug. 3.

Chuck James was pounded for six runs and four homers in 3 2/3 innings by the Giants on Thursday.
James allowed a three-run homer in the first, and the Giants went on to score single runs in each of the next six innings. This qualifies as James' worst outing of the year, especially after factoring in that he didn't have to face Barry Bonds. He was mediocre in three straight outings prior to tonight, so it'd be hard to use him in mixed leagues right now.

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News from the 18th of August.

Edgar Renteria (sprained ankle) is eligible to come off the disabled list Saturday, but the Braves might not activate him until early next week.
"I feel good," Renteria said. "I feel much better. But they know more than me." Renteria will take batting practice and some groundballs prior to Saturday's game and then could leave for a brief minor league rehab assignment.

Jeff Francoeur hit his 15th and 16th homers in a losing cause Saturday against the Diamondbacks.
Francoeur is batting .350 with six homers in 137 at-bats since the All-Star break. He's not going to match his 2006 total of 29 homers, but he should top his RBI total. He currently has 79, which is 24 short of where he finished last year.

Buddy Carlyle was tagged for eight runs -- five earned -- in five innings Saturday in a loss to the Diamondbacks.
Carlyle gets plenty of offensive support, so he's still 7-5 on the year. However, this makes five straight starts in which he's failed to go six innings, so he's putting a lot of pressure on Atlanta's bullpen. The Braves should be starting to lose confidence in him.

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News from the 19th of August.

Yunel Escobar hit a solo homer and doubled in a 6-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Escobar's .315 batting average has certainly been a plus for the Braves, but he's not chipping in much in the way of secondary skills with just two homers and 10 walks in 200 at-bats. Still, a plus batting average and quality defense is about as much as the Braves could hope for in the absence of Edgar Renteria. With Renteria due back no later than a week from now, Escobar's value will take a hit shortly.

Mark Teixeira homered twice to drive in four runs as the Braves defeated the Diamondbacks 6-2 on Sunday.
Teixeira is batting .266 with seven homers and 19 RBI in 17 games since joining the Braves, so he's provided the thumper in the middle of the lineup that they were looking for. Though no fault of his own, the Braves are 9-8 since acquiring Teixeira and are still five games back in the NL East, pending the outcome of the Mets' game.

John Smoltz struck out 12 Diamondbacks while yielding two runs in eight innings of work to record a victory on Sunday.
Smoltz walked three and surrendered five hits while improving his record to 11-6. Now with 2,920 strikeouts in his career as a Brave, Smoltz is the franchise's all-time leader in that category. Phil Niekro entered the day in first place with 2,912 punchouts.

Jo-Jo Reyes was scratched from his last start in Triple-A and could be on his way back to Atlanta.
Reyes struggled in the majors, but he was sharp in two starts for Richmond after being send down on Aug. 3. If he rejoins the rotation, it'd likely be in place of Lance Cormier. NL-only leaguers wouldn't want him active right away.

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News from the 20th of August.

Edgar Renteria's ankle was pain-free on Sunday and he could come off the disabled list prior to Monday's game.
"He looked fine," hitting coach Terry Pendleton said. Renteria was able to take batting and fielding practice with no discomfort on Sunday.

The Braves have scratched Chuck James from his scheduled start Tuesday because of soreness in the back of his left shoulder.
This may explain his struggles of late. It also explains why the Braves scratched Jo-Jo Reyes from his start in Triple-A. Reyes will be called up to fill in for James tomorrow.

Brian McCann hit his third career grand slam Monday against the Reds.
McCann is hitting .343 with nine walks in 35 career at-bats with the bases loaded. He had been without a home run during August.

Mark Teixeira hit a pair of three-run homers in the Braves' 14-4 rout of the Reds on Monday.
Back-to-back two-homer games have given Teixeira nine bombs in 18 games for the Braves. He also doubled, walked and scored a total of four runs tonight. To say he's on fire since joining the NL East would be an understatement.

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News from the 21st of August.

Octavio Dotel (shoulder) threw for the first time in a week Monday.
Dotel threw easy for 15 minutes from 100 feet. If he remains pain-free he will throw off a mound in the next couple days. He is eligible to return from the disabled list on Thursday.

Braves released RHP Tanyon Sturtze.
Sturtze wasn't a very good bet as he attempted to return from shoulder surgery, but the Braves gave him a major league deal last winter anyway. It turned out to be a waste of $750,000.

Braves recalled LHP Jo-Jo Reyes from Triple-A Richmond.
Reyes apparently will make at least two starts in place of Chuck James. If he does well, he'll have a spot for the rest of the season. NL-only leaguers should keep an eye on him.

Braves placed LHP Chuck James on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 17, with tightness in the back of his pitching shoulder.
James was hoping to return after missing just one start, but the Braves didn't want to send down a reliever in order to bring up a replacement for him. James could rejoin the rotation at the beginning of September.

Brian McCann homered for the second straight game on Tuesday.
He also doubled, and appears to be waking up out of his power drought. McCann's 14th homer -- a two-run shot -- put Atlanta up 7-5 in the top of the fifth, but the bullpen promptly let that lead slip away. McCann is hitting .275 with 44 runs.

Jo-Jo Reyes, brought up from Triple-A earlier in the day, lasted just 2 2/3 innings on Tuesday, giving up four hits and five runs.
He struck out just one and walked four, shooting his ERA perilously close to the 10.00 mark. Reyes is probably in line for one more start with Chuck James sidelined, but it will have to be pretty impressive for him to gain any traction in the rotation.

[love_that_reefer]

Teixeira has been a beast for the Braves. So long Andruw, there's a new bat in town. It's been fun to watch Mark hitting like he is.