The Braves are planning to activate Drew Smyly from the injured list to start Saturday’s game against the Diamondbacks, David O’Brien of the Athletic was among those to relay (Twitter link). The left-hander was placed on the IL last week with forearm inflammation, but he’ll return after missing just one start. Smyly has allowed nine runs (seven earned) over his first eleven innings for Atlanta, but he’s struck out eleven with just a single walk to this point.
Elsewhere in Atlanta and the game’s East divisions:
- In other Braves’ pitching news (also via O’Brien), reliever Chris Martin has started throwing as he begins his ramp-up. The right-hander hit the injured list in early April with shoulder inflammation but O’Brien says he could return by the end of Atlanta’s upcoming homestand, which runs through the 29th. Max Fried, who went on the shelf last week after straining his hamstring, seems to be further behind. He has not yet begun throwing and there’s no timetable for his return, per O’Brien. Like Martin, Mike Soroka is dealing with shoulder inflammation; the 23-year-old is expected to begin a throwing program sometime soon, but manager Brian Snitker suggested he’s still far away from any potential return to game action (via Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
- Red Sox ace Chris Sale is progressing in his recovery from March 2020 Tommy John surgery, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com relays. Sale isn’t throwing off a mound yet, but manager Alex Cora said he’s “getting closer.” The left-hander will report to the team’s complex in Florida on Sunday to continue his rehab. Sale “feels great,” according to Cora, though the Red Sox still aren’t ready to offer a timetable on a potential 2021 return. Even without Sale, the Red Sox have surprisingly begun the season with an American League-best 12-6 record. Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodríguez have been the top performers in Boston’s rotation this year in Sale’s absence.
- Orioles outfield prospect Heston Kjerstad has been medically cleared to report to the team’s alternate training site, per Jim Callis of MLB.com. Kjerstad, the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, has been away from the club while recovering from myocarditis. The 22-year-old will need “a months-long buildup” before he’s ready for game action, Callis tweets.
This actually sounds like bad news for the Braves. It’s good to get Smyly and Martin back but Soroka and Fried are much more important and it sounds like they will be out awhile. My question is this: What is going on with the Braves medical/training staff? Shoulder injuries are the worst type of injuries for pitchers. First, Cole Hamels goes down with a mild elbow injury and basically misses an entire season because he injures his shoulder while he was already on the Injured List. Then Mike Soroka blows out his achilles and now he is missing more time because he injured his shoulder while he was already on the Injured List. Then Chris Martin injures his finger but is now missing time because he injured his shoulder while he was already on the Injured List. In Hamels case it seems like the shoulder injury was so bad that it could likely have ended his career. What are the Braves doing? Is it from using the medicine ball too much? I know that’s what caused Hamels injury. This is becoming too frequent though. When pitchers get injured the Braves need to stop rehabbing and training them in ways that could potentially injure their shoulder. No players should acquire new injuries when they are already on the IL. Pitchers especially should not acquire shoulder injuries while they are on the IL. 3 times is definitely a pattern. It seems like something needs to change.
Can’t really blame the Medical team. Smyly is always on the DL
OMG Smyly- yeah just ask a Mariners fan about Smyly! Haha we made 2 trades to get him, 7 players we sent in two trades. One of which – Ryan Yarborough has had some decent ML success. Smyly did NOT pitch one inning for the M’s. Blew out his arm pitching for Team USA v of all people- Felix Hernandez of Venezuela in the WBC. Smyly! Pfft!
When everyone is trying to throw 100+ with maximum spin using violent twisting and torquing of their forearms is it any wonder!? It’s not the medical dept. It’s the state of the game
How about u sit out 6-8 months not being able to throw because of a injury and see how u do gtfoh with your analysis
What does “6-8 months” have to do with anything? Soroka was the only pitcher I mentioned that had been out for anywhere near that amount of time. Hamels had just been out for the offseason when he injured his elbow and less than 2 weeks after that he inured his shoulder with a medicine ball (not throwing a baseball). Chris Martin was consistently pitching in regular season games when he injured his finger. It was less than 6-8 DAYS before he injured his shoulder already on the IL. Your “6-8 moths not being able to throw because of a injury” statement could apply to 1 of the pitchers I mentioned. The whole point of my comment was that it is THREE pitchers on 1 team all sustaining the same injury when they were already on the IL for unrelated reasons. Do you really think Chris Martin was out 6-8 months? I was watching him pitch in a live game less than 2 weeks ago.
Hamels had a bad shoulder before the Braves ever signed him last year. Just ask Cubs, he only pitched second half season in 2019. It has nothing to do with medical/training, i believe it has to do with strengthening. These guys in in weight room and think they are feeling better and push it too hard. Been there, have had 3 rotator surgery’s on left shoulder. When you think you the man, you lift more or move arm to far over head and bam you have a set back. These guys lie all time to doctors or coaches.
Cole Hamels never struck me as a weight room Animal….
Off-topic I know but I’m looking at a labrum repair, and a rotator cuff repair, what kind of downtime did you have after your surgery?
Notice how whenever a ballplayer gets injured it’s always the fault of someone other than the player.
Same as with any medical situation of any human being living in America. Never the persons responsibility to keep themselves healthy. The doctors didn’t do this….the government didn’t do that…..the employer didn’t allow for this……blah, blah, blah. The answer for most – find an attorney so you can sue. Heaven forbid a person finds out what caused it; assumes responsibility; educates themselves about the issue; and makes adjustments until the situation improves.
Just find someone to blame and hey, rest easy, it’s not your fault. After all – we’re all are entitled to perfect lives.
You gotta chill bro major over reaction.
@britingham
Have to wonder how long before Houck is plugged into the RS rotation. Boston has 10m invested in Richards, which will probably buy him until mid season regardless, but have to wonder how much better the team would be with houck taking his turns, instead of sitting idly at the alternate camp and only making 1-2 day appearances in emergencies and doubleheaders like he has so far.
Richards looked like complete garbage today. Can’t believe y’all are paying 10 mil for that lol.
Richards is a west coast guy, not used t0 pitching in sub-40 degree weather. He will come around once the temps get up into the 60-70’s.
So if they play in October, he’ll suck again?
If they play in October Sale and Houck will be on the active roster not Richards. He is there to be an innings eater so that the bullpen won’t be over used.
Johnsilver – The Houck situation comes down to two key components that relate to keeping the extra year of control. A season doesn’t count unless you are on the roster for 172 days out of 183 (2021 total) during the regular season. The 172 establishes your first year of service. So far in 2021 Houck has been on the MLB roster for 7 days out of 22. That means of the 183 possible days he could be on the roster he can not exceed 176 as of today. Thus, if Houck stays in the minors for 5 more days his max days on the roster in 2021 will be 171 which qualifies him to start his control years in 2022.
Next, there is a clause in the 2016 CBA that helps player receive arbitration in their 3rd year rather than their fourth. Houck is set to be eligible for arbitration if they keep him down 5 more days in 2026. If, however, he is in the top 22% of the players eligible that year for arbitration, he will become a Super Two player and will receive arbitration in 2025. 2025 arbitration means free agency in 2028. If they keep him in the minors long enough that he isn’t in the top 22% then his free agency will be in 2029. Thus, an extra year of control is obtained if they can keep him down long enough to not be in the top 22% of his 2025 arbitration class.
I hope that makes some sense. It’s a very convoluted process!! Here is the section from the 2016 CBS.
(b) “Super Two” Players. In addition, a Player with at least
two but less than three years of Major League service shall be eligible
for salary arbitration if: (a) he has accumulated at least 86
days of service during the immediately preceding season; and (b)
he ranks in the top 22% (rounded to the nearest whole number)
in total service in the class of Players who have at least two but
less than three years of Major League service, however accumulated,
but with at least 86 days of service accumulated during the
immediately preceding season. If two or more Players are tied at
22%, all such Players shall be eligible..
I would add two points on Houck:.
1. I am sure the Sox have an innings limit for this year. Therefore they will continue to limit him so that he has enough innings left to pitch through the playoffs — otherwise you have a Strasburg issue, which may have cost the Nats a WS title.
2. Houck has 36 days service time from 2020. Therefore , they will limit him an extra 36 days to avoid the super two issue.
jml1950 – Excellent points! While the 36 days wasn’t enough to consider 2020 his starting year for free agency the days do add to his overall count.
If the Red Sox front office is that optimistic about this year’s team that they are considering playoff ramifications you have to give them a lot of credit. Your first point never even crossed my mind. I’m still not convinced they will win over 81 games so limiting his innings for playoff considerations was not an issue I could foresee. Great job thinking of it.
I think your second point will be the big factor on how long he stays down. For me, I might bring him up until Sale returns then send him down until September. If they don’t take an early approach to bringing him up and sending him down later they might not have to worry about any playoff ramifications. As a youngster, I would think they would cap his innings around 120 to 150 regardless of the playoff situation but your point about Strasburg is a great one. That was a disaster for Washington.
It is the duty of every GM/Team Pres. to look at maximizing the roster for the playoffs even if there is less than a 10% chance that they make the playoffs
Right now Fangraphs gives the Sox a 58.9% chance to make the playoffs.
538 gives them a 40% chance.
jml1950 – What chance do you give them? I think with 10 teams in the playoffs there chances are close to 10% at best despite having 12 wins as of today. My thinking is that it will take roughly 84 more wins for them to be the second wild card. They have a 3-3 record with Baltimore, a 3 – 0 record against the best team in the division TB, they haven’t played the Yankees and they are 1-1 against TOR. 19 games against each team and before the season I expected their in division records to be 10-9 with Baltimore so based on 3-3 right now I see no reason to change that guess. I had them going 6-13 against TB and NY but since they already have 3 wins against TB I will revise the number to 8-11 and the Yankees will get healthy by the time the face them so I’m keeping the 6-13. Toronto I will improve based on what I’ve seen to 8-11 (1 additional win). Thus, instead of winning 29 of 76 in division games I am upping it to 32-44.
To make the playoffs they need 96 wins so 64 more out of 86 games or a winning percentage of 74.4%. As of today they are 5-4 out of division so to make the 96 win mark they need 59 more wins in 77 remaining out of division games. That’s a 76.6 winning percentage after completing 9 games with a 55.5 winning percentage. For me, it’s unrealistic to think that this team with it’s current make-up and only adding Sale in July would be able to climb to the winning percentages that it would take to make 96 wins. Thus, I say there is no way to make the playoffs without a significant change in the current talent level of the team. Sale will help a great deal but not enough to go from a 65 game winner to 96 game winner. The hot start was great but when you break it down the only big surprise was their sweep of TB. 3-3 with Baltimore is expected. 1-1 against TOR doesn’t tell you much but Toronto looks good and should improve as the season goes on unless they get clobbered by key injuries. No games against the Yankees can give fans hope but they will lose to Cole each time he pitches until Sale gets back, they’ll struggle to beat the other four pitchers especially in NY. Their hope has to be that the bats of the Yankees will remain quiet and that’s a huge hope especially since Voit will be back in May before too many games are played between the two teams. The anomaly of beating TB will be an interesting one going forward. TB seems to be handling the good teams and struggling with the bad. They are 5-1 vs NYY, 2-1 vs KC, 2-1 vs MIA but floundered against the Red Sox 0=3 and Texas 1-3. I can’t believe the Rays will go 1-6 against bad teams going forward and I wonder if they can maintain a 9=2 winning percentage against decent teams. I fully expect to see the REAL Rays next time they play Boston.
I think mathematical models can be great at predicting things but they can’t really use the intangible knowledge of human beings to correctly adjust their trends. Fangraph’s estimate is grossly over stated. If this year had the same playoff structure as last year their estimate would only be slightly over-stated but looking back at 2018 and 2019 with full seasons, it took 96 wins to make the play-offs. If Fangraphs thinks there is a 58.9% chance that the Red Sox will win 96 games, you have to ask how reliable is their model. That’s the problem with Fangraphs in general. Too much algorithm not enough human fine tuning for me to take them seriously with any of their stats..
I’m not a fan of fangraphs. In 2014 & 2015 they had KC with a losing record. Almost every year their model under predicts the Rays and over predicts the Yankees. After 2018, they used their model on the ACTUAL BOS & NYY stats and it predicted that the NYY were 8 games better than Bos.
My only point was Bloom & Cora must plan on a playoff roster at least until the trade deadline. Think 2019 NATS.
I agree and the NATS situation was an embarrassment to their organization. I thought it was dumb at the time because there is no magic number of innings a pitcher can throw just like there is no magic number of pitches to throw in a game. I’m older so when I was young I threw 176 pitches in a game and had no problems from it. In the old days they called it having a rubber arm. Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens seemed to have the same type of resiliency to throwing more than 100 pitches in a game. Some people have it, others don’t. If Strasburg throws in the post season they might/probably have another ring without any ramifications.
By the time my sons pitched, people were focused on pitch counts for pitchers. 100 was the magic number back then and on many occasions they exceeded the magic number with no ramifications.. It took a really bad American Legion coach moving one of my sons from pitcher/catcher to 3B to tear his labrum thanks to the different arm angle for throwing hard across an infield. It’s not bad to be cautious but decision should be made individually not based on a rule.
The main thing people don’t understand about throwing a ball is that repetition builds both muscle memory and strength so throwing the ball at full velocity from new and unfamiliar angles are one of the most likely ways to hurt an arm versus throwing more throws from the same angles. The harder one throws the more likely tears will happen so it’s critical for the infielders who like to throw from many angles to practice them. The rise in TJ surgery from infielders is a result of not building the proper muscles to throw from the many angles an infielder may throw from.
I’m not a fan of Bloom or Cora so I think you may be giving them too much credit but Bloom might have considered what you are suggesting. Yes, he absolutely should have but did he? We will never know for sure.
I never liked the Smyly signing to begin with. I hope he recovers and can take the ball but 11M for high K’s in 2020. Has a mediocre career at best. 18M for Morton I can live with guy has proven when it matters. Smyly not so much. Look at the Braves bullpen and tell me honestly, Who do you trust down there?
I’d trust Will Smith/Minter a lot more if they weren’t the setup/closer. If/when Chris Martin comes back, slot him into the closer roles after some high-leverage IP and getting Smith back into his elite setup role with an occasional save. It’d be interesting to see Minter be used as the opener in a double-header (only being 7 innings), so we could see if his dominance at the role in the playoffs was a fluke. CWS did this recently with Michael Kopech, who has been dominating at 1-2 IPs to limit his IP coming back from TJ surgery. Webb has the stuff and just needs consistent IP. Matzek is a force, but he shouldn’t be in high-leverage spots right now. Honestly, a rusty Shane Greene isn’t fearsome.
@RunDMC. I like that idea. I know Will had some success in the closers role but I’d like to give Martin a shot. The pen is a little off at the back end. I do however think we should give Shane Greene another look. I know his peripherals weren’t strong last season but we really need another right handed arm. He is obviously familiar with the guys and could slot right in. Our defense is going to make most pitchers peripherals not look as good. We “need that righty on the wall.”
Gotta give up on the Shane Greene thing if was going to be brave again he’d be one.
Johnny just saw Chris Sale out shopping at JC Penney’s.
Are you sure it wasn’t K Mart?
Sad about Kjerstad. Myocarditis is caused by a virus so it’s possibly COVID related. Isn’t that similar to E-Rod of the Red Sox? Hopefully both recover
Braves need make a trade or two for pitching. This could a long season if not.
You could say that about every team out there. They are just now using 2 guys that started (and won) playoff games in 2020: Wilson/Wright, and haven’t even brought in some of their top SP prospects: Davidson, Muller. Not to mention they’re reportedly 1 of 3 teams looking at Anibal Sanchez, whom resurrected his career in ATL. Buck up!
They need a few more APBA cards? A couple of B or even C pitchers could help. Although a 66 will still be a long one.
I agree witH you guys but 27-0 when leading after the 7th inning last year. Braves have one of the best defenses in the game sans acceptable defense with Ozuna in left. All of the BB’s these guys are allowing are shooting them in the foot. People talked a lot of trash about Melancon last year because of a low K rate but guys like that make the hitters earn by throwing strikes. The “ guy has great stuff” cliche is old. Stuff doesn’t mean jack if the guys keep walking the guy at the plate.
So many RPs starting innings with a walk, only having them come around to score. Jackson is notorious for this, but so are a few others. Melancon is a GB machine, so if people were talking about his K-rate, they don’t value outs at the most important inning — the last one.
Baseball in 2021: pitcher is giving up a lot of runs, but he has struck out one per inning!
Tell you what. Throw that 5.73 era at my team any day…strike out 27 for all I care, as long as you give up about six runs in the game.
On the flipside, if my pitcher doesn’t strike anyone out but gives up only a couple or three a game? I’ll take it. Stats have taken over common sense in this game: the goal is to outscore your opponent…and win.
Did you see Willians Astudillo’s IP in relief going from 45 mph-75 mph? He didn’t strike anyone out, but no one could get a launch angle on it to do anything with it. I don’t think anyone got it out of the IF. This idea that you have to throw hard is overrated. I’d love to see more guys that with larger ranges between their pitches to throw guys off in their timing.
Exactly, I want a guy that can pound the zone and make them earn it. Braves have great infield defense make them hit it. I’m tired of seeing Jackson, Webb and company come in and put the lead runner on then have to wiggle out of it. The value is in the outs not your K rate. Smith too, he is really a setup guy that falls in love with his slider and has to wiggle out of trouble. It looks like he doesn’t have confidence in the 4 seamer but the guy can throw 95. They are giving way too much respect on the guy in the box.
Argh!!!! Dave Dombrowski wins a championship and then the team is garbage for like a whole year. A covid reduced year, but still. Red sox fans will never get those 60 games back.
What a loser.
In 2014 &2015 , Sox finished in last. DD had control for 4 yrs. 2016–2019.
2016, 1st in the ALEast; 2017, 1st in the AL East, 2018, 1st in the AL East and WS Champs. 2019 missed the playoffs. The Sox had NEVER finished in 1st 3 yrs in a row.
If that’s garbage, sign me up for it every four yrs.
Garbage for 60 games… I was being sarcastic. People have slammed dombrowski because he empties the farm system to win a championship. So what? Championships are forever.
BobGibsonFan – DD doesn’t ruin farm systems, that’s just rhetoric from DD haters. The GM after DD in Detroit made incredibly stupid moves to destroy the future of the Tigers and only after years of early first round picks are they recovering from DD’s replacement’s mistakes.
Sound familiar? Whether it was ownership forcing Bloom to make the Mookie deal or not. he’s accountable along with ownership. That single deal set the Red Sox back at least 3 years. Unless you replace Mookie’s talent the team isn’t close to what it was in 2018 and 2019 (when Cora screwed up ST and many players were injured). You don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, ownership should have signed Mookie even it meant apologizing for their treatment of minority players. DD shouldn’t have been fired but he took the heat for Cora’s screw up of Spring Training and the pitching staff. The whole cheating things is yet another Cora issue so why he has a job is beyond me. Devers in a grown man and shouldn’t need a nanny.
Dombrowski spent $167M on the players he used to win the 2018 championship and there was $40M plus of carry=over payroll from earlier before DD was there. The rap on DD is totally unfair. The Red Sox farm system has been maligned for years because it didn’t have enough top 100 picks and when they did DD used some of them to get players they needed to win. He used the expendable players that were over-rated and kept the good ones who then graduated to the majors like it’s supposed to work. Sale vs. Moncada (top prospect) and Kopech (top prospect). Both players were rated higher than they should have been just like Jeter Downs is today. Those are the guys you trade but I doubt Bloom has the experience and knowledge to realize that. Espinoza is still languishing in the minors for SD and how many years ago was that deal that had everyone upset? DD was spot on when it came to his handling of the minors. He used over-rated players to get more in trades and kept the true value players.like Devers, Dalbec, Chavis, Duran and others.
The team is garbage for 2 reasons: First, they fired one of the finest GMs in baseball because Cora screwed up after winning a ring. Second, they gave away their best all around player AND their #2 SP and got back next to nothing for them. By downgrading the team drastically the value of a player like Verdugo is wasted. His control years will mostly be down years. So great we got a controllable player and we now suck. Brilliant planning by Bloom and Ownership.
Without Betts, Benny, JBJ, Sale, Price, Pedroia, Moreland and even Holt this team has a completely different personality, chemistry and talent level. They are off to a great start but it won’t last because they lack talent compared to 2018. Houck will be a great addition (one of DD’s guys). Pivetta looks like he might blossom too (Bloom’s guy). Duran looks ready to step in soon. Those are the FUTURE impact players on the team. Verdugo may be too if his back stays healthy. Those potential star players for the most part were there when Bloom arrived except for Pivetta and Verdugo. If Mookie and Price were kept then Benny may not have been prematurely traded. DD planned for Duran to replace JBJ but rather than non-tendering JBJ in 2020 and re-signing him at a compensation that matched his skills, they paid him $11M which was more that the difference between what Mookie was getting in 2020 and wanting in 2021. None of that makes sense.
The garbage team as you put it in your original comment is ALL on Ownership and Bloom. DD had a plan that got derailed by Cora mistakes and rather than fire Cora (until they were forced to due to cheating) they fired the guy who built a blueprint for success. When a team banks hundreds of millions of profit during a GM’s era they should be willing to eat their mistakes from the previous GM. That’s all DD wanted. He wanted to keep Mookie, Price and the whole gang because he designed a contender through 2022. By 2022 the big contracts were ending and a new plan needed to be built for after 2022. DD never got to see his plan thru to it’s fruition. He stays and they fire Cora and the Red Sox might have another ring by now. If Cora is gone then Cora doesn’t mess with Sale’s windup and maybe he doesn’t end up with TJ surgery. If Cora was gone he doesn’t screw-up spring training in 2019 and the team doesn’t start the season 10 games back in April. They fire Cora and keep DD and they spend a bit more money as owners but they aren’t embarrassed in 2020. They keep DD and he works out a deal with Bett’s people to keep Mookie..
Ownership has done nothing but screw up since they decided to fire DD. That’s why a garbage team plays in Boston now. Yes, it will recover in 3 to 5 years from the day they departed with Mookie and Price but why should Red Sox fans lose those years? To save them a few bucks after they made hundreds of millions off the fans? It’s just not right.
What jml1950 said. That’s anything but a loser.
LOL
Soroka is a fantastic young pitcher but he is having trouble staying healthy. That has me worried. Thankfully, Braves are flush with good young starting pitchers, Anderson, Fried, Wilson and Ynoa. Even Wright may soon be reliable. Say what you want about the rebuild but it was intended to develop a good crop of pitchers. It has done that.
Braves are seriously struggling to keep their top young pitchers healthy which seriously sucks because when that team is fully healthy they can be one of the best teams in the NL