Braves Rotation In Disarray – Medlen Injured Beachy Lacks Velocity
By Fred Owens
Mar 9, 2014; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves manager
Fredi Gonzalez(33) accompanies injured starting pitcher
Kris Medlen(54) off the field in spring training action at Tradition Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports
Kris Medlen left yesterday’s game in the fourth inning with what the Braves described as a forearm strain. Brandon Beachy left today in the second inning with a bicep issue. Mike Minor has yet top make a spring training start. The rotation Frank Wren and the Braves were counting on is rapidly unraveling. Now what?
Rotation Detrioration
Last year the Dodgers entered spring training with so many pitchers they ended up literally giving them away. A few weeks later they were trying desperately to find enough to have five guys in their rotation. This year it seems it’s the Braves turn to scuffle. Yesterday morning things looked a lot different.
Medlen started yesterday and through two innings was on a roll. His change was superb as usual but his curve was even more so making major league hitters knees buckle and sending them to the dugout shaking their head. In the third inning his control seemed to wander a bit and I saw him trying to figure out why the ball didn’t go where it was supposed to on a couple of pitches but he got out of the inning okay. Then with two out in the fourth inning Medlen delivered a pitch, screamed something unintelligible and headed straight to the clubhouse doing that little hopping dance guys do when something hurts really badly. The edited replay below shows that he had grabbed and rubbed his elbow on the pitch prior to the one when he left the game.
The official word on Medlen is that he has a forearm strain it didn’t look like the he was rubbing his forearm to me. He had an MRI this afternoon and as of now I haven’t heard anything official and Mark Bowman suggests they may not get results today.
It doesn't sound like the #Braves are expecting to get results from Medlen's MRI until this evening
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 10, 2014
George Kurtz (Rotoexperts.com) says he knows an the answer isn’t good.
Medlen's MRI apparently shows a tear, that's a big ouch for those leagues that have already drafted
— GeorgeKurtz (@GeorgeKurtz) March 10, 2014
The Plot Thickens and the Rotation Thins
Today Beachy got the start against the Phillies and was scheduled to go four innings. He left after two because of tightness in his bicep.
Brandon Beachy said he experienced "discomfort" in right biceps. Said he was unable to finish and locate pitches as he wanted.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 10, 2014
#Braves Beachy left game with tightness in biceps, which he said has bothered him in 2 previous starts but worsened today.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) March 10, 2014
I asked Beachy if there would be a point in spring training when he tried to ramp up velocity again. "I tried," he said.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 10, 2014