Braves closer Jason Grilli is done for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, tweets David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Grilli was in the midst of a resurgent season after losing his job as the Pirates closer last summer. In 33.2 innings, he had a 2.67 ERA, 24 saves, 12.03 K/9, and 2.67 BB/9.
With the Braves on the outer fringes of contention, many analysts believed Grilli would be an attractive trade deadline target. The Blue Jays, Cubs, Dodgers, Nationals, and Tigers are among the contenders rumored to be looking for relief help. The club has dropped four straight contests and is now four games below .500. Atlanta is five games back from the second Wild Card slot.
The Braves are likely to turn to fellow reclamation project Jim Johnson in Grilli’s stead. The former Orioles closer has experienced his own rebound this year with a 2.14 ERA, 6.64 K/9, 3.00 BB/9, and five saves in 42 innings. It’s also possible that Johnson will be shopped at the deadline if the Braves fall further out of contention.
Sucks for the Braves and for Jason Grilli. That was a really tough half inning.
After reeling from another bout of losses primarily attributed to a sub-par bullpen Jason Grilli, a bright spot in an otherwise abysmal hole, is done for. Freeman’s wrist and now this I’m starting to think that maybe the Braves have to pay their vig to the baseball gods and suffer. Last year’s injuries to the SP wasn’t enough?
Maybe the Braves might have been able to trade Grilli but now, obviously, that won’t happen and the only option now is for Atlanta to soldier on without him and hope for the best. But what does that look like? 🙁
Maybe this is a blessing in disguise as Cheese, who has had to change teams plenty of times already, can focus on rehab and staying with the Braves for another year is a forgone conclusion,
This is tough news to hear. #GrilledCheese
Could he be done for good?
Pushing 39 and with an achilles injury. I would say he’d need a major miracle to play again.
Wainwright is 33 and has a lot more miles on his arm, do you think he’s over too?
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Looks like the Hand of Fate also believes that Mike Foltynewicz should be closing. Only a Johnson meltdown away from seeing that happen. I was really hoping to see Neftali Feliz back in Atlanta only a day prior too.
Luckily for Grilli he got guaranteed money for 2016 and if he comes back still as filthy as he’s been, the Braves can get him in 2017 for only $3M. He’s been really good, lets hope his achilles can heal up and he can come back by this time next year.
Folty to the bullpen is stupid.