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Atlanta Braves had more than one Wrist to Wrestle With in 2015

By Alan Carpenter

Sep 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Jace Peterson (8) catches a pop up hit by Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Jeff Francoeur (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Jace Peterson (8) catches a pop up hit by Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Jeff Francoeur (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 20, 2015; Atlanta Braves second baseman Jace Peterson (8) catches a pop up hit by Jeff Francoeur (not pictured) during the 7th inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2015; Atlanta Braves second baseman Jace Peterson (8) catches a pop up hit by Jeff Francoeur (not pictured) during the 7th inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

Jace Peterson Was Hurt… And We Had No Idea

The biggest injury for the Braves in 2015 was clearly Freddie Freeman‘s wrist, which kept him out of 1/3rd of the season and effectively reduced the Atlanta offense to pedestrian levels of output.  Even when he was in games after July, it was evident that Freeman couldn’t swing with the authority we have have come to expect.

But even at that, we were watching with increasing frustration as Jace Peterson started hot, then seemingly fell into a chasm as the Summer months hit.

  • April:  .246
  • May:  .282
  • June:  .263
  • July:  .174
  • Aug:  .238
  • Sept/Oct:  .222

Turns out there was a reason for this – one that had been held close to the team.  Turns out that we weren’t alone in missing this news:

But as part of a nice sequence of a lengthy interview with David O’Brien, it was Freddie Freeman who broke the news of Jace’s bum wrist:

"But I think him being completely healthy, and Olivera having a whole year, hopefully he can settle in for us. Jace Peterson had his problems at the end of the year with his wrist, so hopefully he’s 100 percent healthy. We’ve got some guys. It’s like every year — we need these things to line up, and obviously they didn’t line up for us last year."

Wow.  Didn’t know that – and while the scrappy second sacker could hardly hit LHP at all (.190) last year, he was clearly having trouble hitting anything by the Summer.  Now we know why.  Still… if he’s healthy again… and if Gordon Beckham ends up in a platoon with him at second base… then maybe that bodes well for the production of this position in tandem.

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Beckham, for the record, had his own wrist troubles back in 2013:  a hamate bone fracture, and then another wrist injury unrelated to the first.  Last year, he struggled for playing time and in hitting, but over his career has hit LHP decently, though much better away from US Cellular Field (odd).  This includes a .310 clip in 2015 on the road.

Still, Peterson might give Beckham a run for his money, given a crowded roster.  Hopefully he will be 100% in a month.

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