Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 3/15/14
The Braves aren’t adding another starting pitcher
The Braves bolstered their suddenly shaky rotation earlier this week when they signed right-hander Ervin Santana to a one-year, $14.1 million contract, but general manager Frank Wren told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal this morning via phone that he isn’t planning to add another starter even with Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy potentially headed for another Tommy John surgery.
"“Right now, we plan on going with what we have,” Wren said. “We like what we have.”"
Which means the Braves appear content relying on Julio Teheran, Freddy Garcia, Alex Wood, and David Hale to hold down the fort for now.
Braves’ Gattis had knee surgery in October
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Braves catcher Evan Gattis hadn’t caught consecutive games this spring until Thursday, and now we know why: He had knee surgery in October, and the team has been careful with his workload behind the plate.
Gattis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he had arthroscopic surgery to remove what he called a dime-sized bone chip that had been “floating around” in his knee right knee since around 2006, the year he had knee surgery known as the OATS procedure, when he was in junior college.
In that invasive procedure, plugs of healthy cartilage and bone are moved from a non-weight bearing part of the knee to replace damaged cartilage. Gattis was on crutches for two months after the 2006 surgery, and soon quit junior college and began a nearly four-year period in which he was out of baseball and wandered the western states, doing various odd jobs, seeking out “spiritual gurus” and searching for a deeper meaning to life.
via Miami Herald
Beachy might need second Tommy John surgery
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Pitcher Brandon Beachy’s arm injury appears to be far worse than he and the Braves initially thought, and it’s feared he might need a second Tommy John elbow surgery and another year-long rehabilitation.
The Braves face the almost unimaginable, but quite real, possibility that starting pitchers Kris Medlen and Beachy could learn Monday when they visit Dr. James Andrews that each needs to have a second ligament-transplant surgery, aka Tommy John surgery. Andrews did the surgery on Medlen in 2010 and on Beachy in June 2012.
Medlen, who left Sunday’s game against the Mets after feeling stabbing pain in his surgically repaired elbow, had an MRI and other tests this week in Orlando and knows he likely will need Tommy John surgery.
Now Beachy, 27, knows he might also need his third overall surgery and second Tommy John surgery in a span of 21 months. That’s assuming that Andrews would even recommend having so many surgeries within such a short period of time.
“Lot of frustration,” Beachy said Friday. “Really, really frustrated.”
David Hale gives Braves pitching hope in win over Rays
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla, — David Hale provided a bright spot for the Atlanta Braves’ beleaguered rotation, allowing one run in four innings while striking out three to lead the Braves past the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-1, on Friday.
With Braves starters Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen possibly facing Tommy John surgery and Mike Minor sidelined and possibly out for opening day, Hale pitched impressively. He was 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA in two starts for Atlanta last season.
Hale entered the spring hoping for a shot at one of the final spots in the rotation if a starter went down. Julio Teheran and Alex Wood are the only two remaining of the five that entered camp as the leading candidates. The Braves signed free agent Ervin Santana to a $14 million deal on Wednesday, but the lack of depth is still a concern for Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who said that Hale’s effort came at the right time.
“(Hale) threw some good stuff today,” Gonzalez said. “(Catcher Gerald) Laird said the same thing. He looked good for us.”