Chipper to the DL?

Well, you knew he couldn’t go the entire season without missing a few games and the fact that it’s almost July and this would be Chipper’s first trip to the DL isn’t all that bad, until you consider the number of injuries the Braves have suffered. Looking at Sunday’s depleted line-up that was missing Jones, Yunel Escobar and Omar Infante and you see what I’m getting at. But Chip has been out over a week with that injured quad so it should come as no surprise that the third baseman is most likely heading to the disabled list. The injury also puts his destined all-star appearance in doubt, which sux since I actually have tickets for this year's festivities in New York!

But hold on kids, because relief is in site. Centerfielder Mark Kotsay is expected to be activated from the DL in time to take on the suddenly slumping Phillies. Kotsay's return would move Gregor Blanco into left and most likely send Brandon Jones down to AAA-Richmond. Plus manager Bobby Cox says that "Esco" should be a go by Tuesday as well. (PS is it just me or is that a lame nickname? You've got Mac, and Chip and Tex and Frenchy and Esco? Seriously, Cox needs to give him a better one.) The return of Yunel and Mark could ease some of the burden, but how do you replace a guy who’s batting .394? All I have to say is thank goodness the Braves are taking on the Phillies now. The team is just 2-8 in their last 10 games. Hopefully, they can continue their struggles for the next few days.

News&Notes: The Braves dropped the final two games against the Blue Jays, 9-5 and 1-0 respectively after taking the first game, 4-0. Pitching proved to be the lone bright spot in the Braves 1-0 loss, with Jo-Jo Reyes putting up seven spectacular innings that included only one earned run while Blaine "major appliance" Boyer managed to keep the Jays scoreless for an inning…Sunday's loss was the Braves 23rd consecutive one run road loss dating back to the 2007 season...The Braves hope to have John Smoltz back in the clubhouse in the next week or two. I have to say, any article that uses the word “kibitzing” is a winner for me.

(Photo: Tony Gutierrez/AP)

It's been fun blogging with you,

Kate

Could Teixeira Be on the Way Out?

As we head closer and closer to July the rumor mill starts to get out of control. Along with the constant barrage of where C.C. Sabathia is heading, could Rich Harden be out of Oakland and can the Rockies get a big return for Brian Fuentes, now our very own Mark Teixeira is getting his own round of rumors. Tex has not even been with the Braves for a year but his stay in Atlanta could soon be over. And remember the Braves sent five prospects including catcher Jarred Saltalamacchia to Texas for Teixeira and reliever Ron Mahay. Obviously, Mahay isn’t with the team, but could Mark really follow in his footsteps? Well, let’s be honest, he’s probably not going to stay in Atlanta at the end of the season, unless he’s really into taking a big discount. The Mets and Yankees will both need a first baseman when the season’s over and they’re not opposed to overpaying for a player.

If the Braves were to trade Teixeira, they’d officially be giving up any hope of making it to the playoffs and they’d also be unable to get any sort of return equal to what they sent to the Rangers, especially with Mark’s contract ending at the end of the season and having Scott Boras as your agent isn’t exactly re-assuring to any team. Also keep in mind that Atlanta is currently just four games out of first and the Phillies have been on quite the skid over the past week or so, it seems to me that the NL east is still up for grabs. Plus without Teixeira next year, there will be a huge hole in the line-up, so if ever there was a year for the Braves to make a push, it would be this one. Although, I said that about the NY Giants in 2006-07 and well things turned out ok for big blue.

I personally am not ready to give up. It’s nice to see players step up and fill the holes in the rotation (like Jorge Campillo) and out in the field. And when the team begins to get a little healthier, well watch out. But at the same point, if the Braves take a huge nose dive heading towards the July 31st trade deadline, then rebuilding maybe coming a year earlier than expected.
(Photo: Tami Chappell/REUTERS)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Braves avoid sweep

The Braves held off a sweep without their starting left side of the infield. Chipper Jones, who is still hampered by a quad injury, missed his fifth straight start, while Yunel Escobar was out with an injured shoulder. I guess it was a good thing he got thrown out of Tuesday’s game because he didn’t have a chance to injure his shoulder even more. Omar Infante subbed for Escobar, but left in the second inning with an injury of his own and was replaced by Brent Lillibridge, who proved to be a worthy replacement, getting his first career double in the eighth inning off of Mitch Stetter.

Jorge Campillo was brilliant allowing just two runs over seven innings, while Kelly Johnson contributed two hits and drove in three runs in the Braves 4-2 victory over the Brewers. The win gave Atlanta a 3-3 record in their short, six game home stand. They’ll now head way north to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays for their final interleague series of the regular season. Chipper Jones hopes to contribute as a designated hitter for the series and with the extra day off between games, hopefully he will.

Meanwhile, I was just talking with my friend yesterday about the Braves mounting injuries. Just rolling off those on the DL, Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Rafael Soriano, Mark Kotsay, Matt Diaz, Martin Prado and of course Mike Hampton, I couldn't believe how many names were spewing from my mouth. So it really came as no surprise that another Braves player came up limping yesterday afternoon. What is surprising is that the injuries aren't the real reason the Braves are 4 games out; it's their play especially in one-run situations that’s killing them. It's been nice to see that the team has begun to show life in the closing innings like on Tuesday when Mark Teixeira belted a two run homer in the ninth, but once again they came up a little short. In my mind they're ability to make the playoffs will rely more-so on their tenacity as a team, than their mounting injuries. Make no mistake about it, losing 3/5 of your projected rotation is painful, but leaving men on base, especially in scoring position, hurts more.

News&Notes: Congrats to Mississippi Brave Tommy Hanson on throwing a no-hitter on Wednesday. The 21 year old right hander recorded 14 strikes on the way to recording a no-no, which was the first in Mississippi Braves history...The Braves have signed six of their top 10 draft picks...Mark Kotsay is expected to be activated from the DL in time for the Braves series against the Phillies.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

I have returned

Sorry for the break between posts, but I was on a mini-vacation. Coming back though, I found the excitement from Mark Teixeira’s three homerun day on Sunday has worn off a bit, Jeff Francoeur has gotten a new corrective contact lens which he hopes will get his bat going, John Smoltz hasn’t given up hope on coming back to the game, Chipper Jones has missed four straight starts with a quad injury and the Brewers are one game away from a sweep. So all-and-all, a news worthy couple of days.

Tuesday night, the Braves came up short falling to the Brewers, 4-3. Mark Teixeira’s two run homer in the ninth got Atlanta within one run, but the Brewer’s Salomon Torres was able to hold on to pick up the save. The Braves committed four errors in the game while Yunel Escobar was tossed after arguing a call that he was doubled up after a Kelly Johnson liner. It’s encouraging to think that the team was in it until the final out, but it was certainly not a pretty game.

News&Notes: The Braves completed their May 5th trade for Greg Norton. The Braves acquired Norton from the Seattle Mariners to add depth after infielder Martin Prado was placed on the 15 day DL. Atlanta sent minor league pitcher Nelson Payano west.
(Photo: John Bazemore/AP)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

The Braves deal Sal Fasano to the Indians

I’m going to be honest; I kind of forgot that Sal Fasano was even in the Braves organization, which is odd because I totally fell in love with him during Phillies Photo Day 2006 and was kind of excited to see him when he was dealt to the Yankees in the Abreu trade. According to the article, Sal was a non-roster invitee to the Blue Jays spring training and was granted his unconditional release from the team on March 25th. A few weeks later (April 4th aka my Bday) Fasano signed a minor league deal with the Braves. Since then, he’s been a member of the AAA-Richmond Braves where he was batting .193 with 2 homeruns and 9 RBIs.

The Indians are hoping to shore up the catcher situation, especially with Victor Martinez getting hurt, and see Fasano’s veteran experience as an upgrade from whoever else they have in their system.

The Braves will get a player to be named later. I didn't even get to enjoy the mustache or the famed free pizzas!
(Photo: Newsday.com; Source)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Well, hello there Mr. Gonzalez, long time no see.

It seemed like over the passed two weeks, every time I’d look at the standings the Braves would always be 6.5 games back, but thanks to their 5-2 win on Wednesday and the Phillies 7-4 loss to the Red Sox, the Braves are now just 5. 5 games back. I know it sounds crazy, but maybe it’s because Mike Gonzalez is back. With the wave of pitchers heading to or on the DL, it’s nice to have some one activated…and get the save. With just one game to go on this road trip, the Braves are now 4-5. With a win today, the Braves could head home with a 5-5 record over the past 10 games. This is huge news for a team that including those four wins, has only gotten 11 other victories on the road. (Or the same amount of losses they have at the Ted.) I know I’m being too sunny again, but if the Braves continue their winning ways at home, road trip splits could be good enough to get them into the playoffs, especially the way Major League teams have been playing on the road. As of last night, only five teams had a winning record away from their home stadiums. FIVE TEAMS!

But I’m getting ahead of myself, back to Wednesday’s action. Tuesday’s game was marred by what looked like a blown double play call. Well on Wednesday, the baseball god’s smiled on Atlanta when in the ninth inning, Rangers closer C.J. Wilson threw a wild pitch to first resulting in extra bases for Jeff Francoeur, who Texas manager Ron Washington argued was running inside the base paths. But the umps ruled in Atlanta’s favor and two batters later Omar Infante singled to drive Francoeur home, beginning what turned out to be a three run rally in their 5-2 win over the Rangers.

News&Notes: Charlie Morton goes for his second start on Thursday. He’ll be facing Texas’ Scott Feldman…Phil Stockman was optioned to AAA-Richmond to make way for Mike Gonzalez on the roster…Speaking of Gonzalez, it was his first appearance since May 15, 2007.
(Photo: Tony Gutierrez/AP)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Controversy Ruins Teixeira's return to Texas

Tuesday marked Mark Teixeira's first game back in Arlington, a place he played in for five years before being traded to the Braves last summer. While he may have caught up with some old teammates, for the rest of the Braves, their 7-5 loss was a bit of a disappointment. Tim Hudson gave up six runs in one of his worst outings of the year, but the run total is a little misleading when you consider a controversial call in the third inning that if ruled in the Braves favor would have resulted in a total of three runs instead of five for the Rangers at that point. The extra two runs become even more important when you consider Brian McCann’s three run homer in the eighth inning would have forced extra innings. Alas, it was not meant to be for Atlanta. Hopefully, they’ll be able to take the frustration from Tuesday night and pour into the next two games in Texas.

The game also marked Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia first game against his former team. The match-up afforded him some time to catch-up with some of his old teammates, although he says he has kept in touch with a couple of Braves players, "I've been talking to Chuck James and Jo-Jo [Reyes]," Saltalamacchia said. "I've called Frenchy [Francoeur] and Mac [McCann] a few times, but they don't answer and don't call back. Typical. I've texted Chipper a couple of times." Jarrod did not play on Tuesday.

News&Notes: The Braves can get some needed bullpen help soon, when Mike Gonzalez rejoins the team on Wednesday...Completely random, but it is interesting to note that the entire NL East Division lost on Tuesday night. Click here for the up-to-date standings.

It's been fun blogging with you,

Kate

Cause 2 out of 3 Ain’t Bad

Last night was a tough loss for the Braves, but they can take heart in knowing that they walked into Anaheim and took two out of three from the West leading Angels. And Chipper Jones will have a constant reminder of the trip for at least the next week after the third baseman got hit in the face during practice on Friday. Tell me, is the luck bank completely overdrawn for the Braves or what?

Jorge Campillo pitched eight stellar innings giving up just two runs thanks to a Casey Kotchman homer, but the Braves offense seemed to already be on the plane in their 2-0 blanking. Atlanta now moves on to Colorado to make up a previously rained-out game before heading to Texas to take on the Rangers for a three game set. (Photo: Gus Ruelas/AP)

News&Notes: The Braves placed reliever Rafael Soriano on the DL again...Charlie Morton was called up to replace Soriano on the roster and promptly picked up the win on Saturday.

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Depression Central

The Braves blew a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning when the Cubs Jim Edmonds lifted a solo shot to tie the game at two a piece. Jeff Ridgway hit Reed Johnson to walk in the winning run in the 11th in the Braves 3-2 loss. The Braves had several chances to win the game but in the end, they came up short, dropping their sixth straight as they head to Anaheim to take on the super tough Angels. Tim Hudson had to be treated for dehydration after tossing six and 2/3 innings allowing just one earned run in his no decision. But at least he didn’t sprain his ankle walking out of Wrigley like another Braves pitcher I know (Jair Jurrjens).

Not all was lost on the day. Jeff Francoeur hit a homerun, his eighth of the season. And they can take heart in knowing they weren’t the only divisional team to blow a lead in the ninth. The Mets “closer” Billy Wagner blew his third straight save opportunity allowing two runs in the ninth before falling to the Diamondbacks 5-4. Plus, the Braves can’t lose forever. Even the ’64 Mets won some games. So things are bound to turn around, why not start in LA? After all, they have two more stops after they play the Angels before heading home, so it would be good idea to pull out a couple wins, otherwise it’s going to be a very long 7 days.
(Photo: Nam Y. Huh/AP)

News&Notes: The Braves sent down Josh Anderson to AAA-Richmond and brought up Brandon Jones. The odd swap of outfielders could allow the Braves to use Mark Teixeira as a DH as they head to Anaheim to play the Angels and then to Texas to take on the Rangers. Another theory is that they could be trying to trade Jones...The Braves are also expecting to call up AAA-Richmond pitcher Charlie Morton. Morton is scheduled start on Saturday against the Angels, moving Jorge Campillo's start to Sunday.

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Braves continue to wrack up the losses

The frustration continues for the Braves who not only dropped their fourth straight (10-5 loss to the Cubs) but will likely be without lefty Tom Glavine for the near future after exiting the game with a strained elbow. This would mark Tom’s second trip to the DL this season, which seems like poor timing for a guy who before this season had never been on the DL. Couldn’t spread out your vacation time better, Tom? Oh, but why harp on the bad things; Greg Norton did get a three run homer in the first off Ted Lilly giving the Braves an incredibly early 3-0 lead. If only the game could have ended there, or after the first inning when they held a 3-2 lead. I’m not greedy, I would have taken that, but alas, things just got increasing worse for the Braves and they fell to the Cubs, possibly the only other team in baseball that is as good at home as the Braves were circa two weeks ago.

On the plus side, Chipper Jones came in as a pinch hitter drawing a walk before being replaced by pinch runner Josh Anderson. Jones took batting practice before starting the game in the dugout, but holds out hope for playing today. Honestly, I’d rather him sit than go all superman and play a game earlier than he should have. Omar is holding his own and I’m ok with him playing third for an extra day if it means keeping Chipper healthy longer. We have enough people on the DL, we do not need to add Chipper to the list.

And another bonus, the Braves did not lose any ground in the standings after the Phillies fell to the Marlins, 5-4. Apparenlty Brett Myers sucks on the road, why he couldn't bring his crappy pitching to Turner Field, I don't know. Plus the Mets lost to the D-Backs, 9-5. So at least the Braves weren't the only NL East team losing. (Click here for current standings.) Hey, I'm trying to stay positive here because my cynicism was certainly not winning any games.

The Braves continue their series tonight at Wrigley with ESPN picking up broadcasting rights for the game. Tune in at 8 PM/est to cheer on the Bravos who desperately need the win.
(Photo: Brian Kersey/AP)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Braves get swept...at home...come on!

(AP Photo/Gregory Smith)

So that picture pretty much sums up the Braves weekend. From Kelly Johnson's dropped ball in the ninth inning on Friday to Chipper Jones' injury eveything that could go wrong went wrong for the Braves. As an added bonus, they'll now get to go on the road to take on the Chicago Cubs who maybe a little peeved that they only split a series with the Dodgers. Of course, this is after Monday's day off. But it's certianly not getting any easier and if there was ever time to start to turn things around away from Turner this would be the week to do.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Chipper Jones' 400th

Chipper Jones not only hit his four hundredth career homerun on Thursday, but he also went 4-5 raising his batting average to .418. Jones is making up some lost time his last few injury shorten seasons have taken from him and helping to lead the team to hopefully an NL East crown. Chip currently stands third all-time on the homerun list by switch hitters and by any player that spent at least 75% of his career at third base. And as an added bonus, the Braves beat the Marlins 7-5. With all the trauma that John Smoltz's impending shoulder surgery may have enduced, Jones red hot bat is certainly helping fans forget about it.

But now the Braves host the NL East leading Phillies for three games at the Ted with Tim Hudson, Jo-Jo Reyes and Jorge Campillo all scheduled to take the mound against Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick and Adam Eaton. The Braves stand just three and half games out of first and can make some serious ground up with a few wins this weekend. Let's Go Braves!

News&Notes: Greg Norton was stratched from Thursday's game with a knee injury. So apparently the injury bug has now hit the Braves outfield...They called up Phil Stockman from AAA-Richmond...Click here to see who the Braves drafted.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

John Smoltz out for the season...maybe longer

John Smoltz tried really, really, really hard to become a productive member of the Atlanta Braves this season but it seems his shoulder troubles are too tough to tame, as the 41 year right-hander will undergo season ending rotator cuff surgery as per the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Smoltz had began the season as a starter but even with his miniscule ERA, his trouble getting passed the fifth inning threw up a giant red flag as to his true health. Smoltz hit the DL for five weeks hoping rest and a new throwing technique would be enough to get him back on the mound, but his lack-luster performance on Monday (a 2 ER blown save) proved it wasn’t. Plus the fact that he reported his shoulder feeling sore after just one inning also wasn't good news.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not taking this news very well. Of course it's only been about five minutes, so maybe I should wait on this one. But it's looking like we may have seen the last of good old Smoltzie in a Braves uniform. At 41, he really doesn't have the time to mount a huge 2 plus year comeback like say Mike Hampton and I don't see him wanting to return to just pitch in the bullpen. I guess I can just look forward to induction day circa 2014 when Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux will enter in together.
(Photo: AP)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Chipper Jones' 399

Much is being made (and rightfully so) about Ken Griffrey, Jr.'s impending 600th homerun, but a little slugger in Atlanta is working toward a milestone of his own. With his three run homer last night, Chipper Jones stands just one homerun away from 400. Greg Norton played hero with a two run double that scored Chipper Jones and Mark Teixeira and rallied the Braves passed the Marlins, 5-4. Norton defininately had an interesting night out in left almost losing a ball in the lights, but with Matt Diaz and Mark Kotsay on the DL, Norton will have more opportunities to work on his outfield skills. The win improves the Braves to 24-7 at the Ted this season and 3-16 in one run games as they move onto Wednesday's day game against the Marlins. Tom Glavine will take the mound against Mark Hendrickson.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Ageless Wonder stops by Baseball Tonight

Former Braves player Julio Franco visited the Baseball Tonight set on Monday to give his all-time team. Franco, who will turn "50" this summer, recently retired from the game. Julio had most recently played in the Majors for the Braves, but spent his final time in Mexico before his retirement announcement. I have to say his little visit was eductional, I had no idea he was a former all-star, let alone the 1991 batting champ. Oh that ageless wonder, I so thought you'd still be playing somewhere.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Sweep, but not the good kind

Weeked Recap: The Braves got swept this weekend by the Reds. But honestly, was this any kind of surprise? Well, yeah. While they have been a paltry 7-21 on the road this year, the promise of bringing Tim Hudson, Tom Glavine and Jair Jurrjens to the mound had me feeling like they’d at least be able to win one game. But alas, it was not meant to be. Instead the weekend belong to Ken Griffey, Jr. who knocked his career 599th homer off of Jair Jurrjens and that guy Jay Bruce who has been tearing it up since his call up like a week ago. Atlanta ended their road trip with just one win (coming against the Brewers) and head home to play four against the tough Marlins and three against the East leading Phillies.

DL: The bad news, Mark Kotsay is headed there. Kotsay has not been able to stay healthy for the past few seasons, but hopefully this will be his only stint this year...Oh and Tim Hudson could be going there as well after leaving Sunday's game with a strained hamstring. I guess you're not a true member of the Braves pitching staff this season if you haven't spent some time on the DL...The good news, John Smoltz is expected to be back in the pen beginning on Monday...And Mike Gonzalez who has been out since early last season made his second appearance in a double A game while Mike Hampton is continuing to keep up the illusion that he's ever going to come off the disabled list by throwing off flat ground.

Other Stuff: According to Elias, Friday's 3-2 loss to the Reds was the Braves 19th straight one loss road game...Chipper Jones had just two hits in the Braves series against the Reds going hitless on both Friday and Sunday and dropping his average to a still insane .405...Braves top prospect Jordan Schafer has returned to the Mississippi Braves after fulfilling his 50 game suspension due to the use of performance enhancing drugs. I guess it's time to see what this kid is really made of
(Photo: AP/Al Behrman)

It's been fun blogging with you,

Kate