The Phillies announced today that righty Aaron Nola has been placed on the 10-day DL due to a strained lower back. “After receiving treatment over the last few days, the symptoms improved, but he still felt some tightness during his side session yesterday,” GM Matt Klentak said in a press release. “Our hope and expectation is that this will not be a lengthy DL placement and that Aaron will miss only one or two starts.” Nola joins right-hander Buchholz on the disabled list, thus creating a temporary avenue for another of the Phillies’ upper-level arms to get a look in the Majors. Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer and MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki both suggest that right-hander Nick Pivetta (originally acquired in exchange for Jonathan Papelbon) could be the preferred option to start in Nola’s place (Twitter links).
More from the NL East…
- Earlier today, the Braves traded veteran reliever David Hernandez, who was with the team’s Triple-A affiliate, to the Angels in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds a bit of context, tweeting that while Hernandez posted solid numbers in Gwinnett, he did not impress the club to the extent that fellow veteran Jason Motte has to this point while pitching in Triple-A. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, meanwhile, tweets that Hernandez had a May 1 opt-out, so Atlanta decided to move him while it was still possible to get a marginal return. Notably, O’Brien suggests that Motte could soon get a look in Atlanta’s Major League ’pen.
- Nationals manager Dusty Baker confirmed that the team will give Jacob Turner a spot start tonight while Stephen Strasburg is out on paternity leave, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes. While Turner’s track record in the Majors isn’t impressive, Baker suggested that the team wasn’t comfortable bringing someone up to make their first Major League start at Coors Field. “We thought about other guys, but we didn’t really want their first start in the big leagues to be in Colorado,” Baker said of that potentially daunting task. “He has big league experience and Stras is having a second child. If not, it would’ve been Stras out there.”
But Bonifacio has impressed the Braves so far!
Wait, you don’t think that .325 OPS is freakin amazing?
…I’m impressed too, that’s for sure!
Considering all the garbage at the major league level, i think management thinks highly of these guys and like most delusional fans, think it is only “April”
David O’Brien you’re clueless. Why don’t you ask the GM the real reason why he wasn’t called up!
What is the real reason?
Can’t wait to see motte in action
“Neither can we.” -the rest of the NL East.
I lol’ed…
Personally, I can’t wait to see AJ Minter paired with Akeel Morris, Caleb Dirks, Vizzy, Ramirez, Hursh, and Mauricio Cabrera at the tail end of the Braves bullpen.
I’m sure by the end of the trade deadline, the Braves pen will look drastically different, and hopefully with the influx of younger talent will come better results.
Heck, they should even throw Sims out there for a September call-up. If he cannot stay consistent, that’s where he will end up anyways, but good lord he has a NASTY fastball-curve combo that could be a major weapon during late game situations.
That Mississippi rotation of Soroka, Weigel, Allard, and Fried cannot get to Atlanta fast enough!! Plus, someone please tell Coppy and Snitker that Bonifacio NEEDS TO BE RELEASED!! Lane Adams is much more deserving of a shot, and once Dustin Peterson comes back, I hope he gets a chance as well. Either him or Rio Ruiz, in a platoon with Adonis, just something to spice up their horrible…useless bench!!
Bench is pretty awful. I would like to see Adams get the call up and Bonifacio’s day has prob come. Maybe we can trade him for cash although that’s unlikely. That mississippi rotation is looking stout. Excited to see them. But I don’t think our bullpen will look drastically different. I’m thinking maybe one or two pieces simply because the braves like to ride their guys during the storm. lol
Nola is a flop for us
Terrible evaluation.