The Braves don’t need any more injuries than they already have, but right-hander Ian Anderson told reporters after his latest start that he felt some tightness in his shoulder that he’s going to have checked out (link via Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Manager Brian Snitker suggested to reporters that Anderson could land on the injured list after undergoing some tests tomorrow.
Anderson, 23, hasn’t matched his brilliant rookie season from 2020, but he’s still given the Braves 96 innings of 3.56 ERA ball with a 24.3 percent strikeout rate and a 9.7 percent walk rate. Those 96 frames rank second on the team behind Charlie Morton, the team’s only other starter who has not yet required an IL stint in 2021. Anderson walked a career-worst five batters in his most recent outing and has walked 15.2 percent of his opponents through three July starts — nearly double the 8.6 percent rate he’d recorded across 15 prior starts. He’s also tossed three wild pitches in July after throwing only two all season prior.
The rotation was expected to be a strength for the Braves heading into the season, but it’s been a more middle-of-the-pack unit, ranking 14th in ERA (4.05), 11th in innings pitched (461 2/3), 13th in strikeout percentage (23.9) and 19th in walk rate (8.4 percent). Injuries have been a major factor in those rankings and in the Braves’ lackluster showing overall. As with any team that is slowed by injury woes, health (or lack thereof) isn’t the sole factor, but it’s hard to overlook the Braves’ mounting number of issues.
Atlanta won’t get a single inning out of Mike Soroka in 2021 and recently lost superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. to a torn ACL. Starting catcher Travis d’Arnaud went down early with a torn ligament in his thumb. Lefty Max Fried has twice landed on the IL (hamstring strain, blister), and many of the team’s promising young arms are banged up as well. Righty Huascar Ynoa looked to be on his way to a breakout — at least until he broke his hand after punching the dugout bench following a poor outing. Twenty-five-year-old hurlers Tucker Davidson (forearm) and Touki Toussaint (shoulder) are both on the 60-day IL, too.
The end result is a 44-45 record and a third-place standing in the division through the season’s first half. Thankfully for the Braves, the rest of the division is also floundering for various reasons, leaving them just four games back from the lead. That leaves the team a chance to fight back into the mix, although losing Soroka and Acuna for the season are potentially backbreaking injuries that’ll make it extra difficult to right the ship. And with the NL West being stacked up with three of the game’s best records, the Braves are seven back in the Wild Card race, which makes their cleanest path to the playoffs a divisional crown.
Dear lord, please no! Stop this junk!
The Braves should throw it in on the season and build for next year around their younger players.
…so you’re saying make Freddie a free man?
Let Freddie walk (with the QO) and sign Mark Canha to a fraction of the contract over the same term. Then make a splash in free agency at shortstop while trading dansby for bullpen depth.
I was against it for so long, but why not?
Is this a serious comment?
The Braves could even trade for a starter, maybe someone like Madison Bumgarner.
I read somewhere that without him the Braves won’t get to the NLCS.
I strongly agree. I can see him as a two-way player.
Clever run, but seriously, we should trade him if we have no plans to resign him. He’d bring a better haul that a QO would and we still have a shot at resigning him.
I would trade Newcomb for a new comb.
I would trade Swanson for a swan, son.
If youre just gonna let Freddie walk on a QO then you might as well just trade him and try to sign him in the off season like the Yankees did to Alrodis Champan.
Ohh great…
Yeah, sucks.
Still only 4 games out.
& no one else in the NL East is exactly setting the world on fire, or whatever. All that being acknowledged, Braves probably can’t withstand a whole lot more of this kind of stuff, though.
Hold fast, Braves fellas.
Atlanta still has a realistic shot at the division with a couple moves at the deadline but it would likely be a quick exit in the postseason even if they made it.
How much emphasis do you put on “likely”? Ya know?
I definitely understand they wouldn’t be a favorite or whatever. But ya gotta get in to have any kind of chance.
The real wild card in the ’21 season is injuries. Who knows what *anyone* will be running out there in October.
Many of my fellow Yankee fans have that same sentiment. Kind of a “why bother” to go into the playoffs as an underdog. That’s not my particular flavor, though. I’d always rather have a shot.
@ducky. With Acuna/Ozuna (pre legal troubles) in the lineup this team might have made it deep into the playoffs. Bullpen just started showing up. No sense dealing prospects now. Coppy handicapped this team when he got caught doing what a lot of teams were doing as well. They would have to mortgage every chip they had to even get to the playoffs now. Sell everything that’s a free agent in 2022 not named Freddie Freeman. Hopefully Freddie signs a extension or this team is doomed in 2022.
Season is a wash. Barring any dramatic moves by AA a playoff appearance is behind them. Outfield is about as triple a as it gets after Acuna injury.
Sitting on a park bench?
the rivers are full of crocodile nasties
no dude, that’s Felipe Vazquez
Eyeing little girls with bad intent…
Snots running down his nose….
(I love it when I get the good line.)
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes.
Just when you think things can’t get much worse….
The injury bug is nasty this year. Braves, Mets, etc.
So will Morton accept a trade if the Braves decide to go in that direction? He did only want to play in Tampa or Atlanta.
They can trade him back to Tampa.
NL Least moment
And you shake your head
And said it’s a shame
So the massive unprecedented explosion of injuries among all major league teams, supposedly has nothing to do with inoculating healthy athletes with an unapproved experimental vaccine…….yea, if you buy that I have some oceanfront property for sale in Arizona.
and correlation = causation…now are you selling or purchasing said property?
I’ll include the Golden Gate bridge for free!
Something tells me you think you have oceanfront property in AZ after one drunken night on eBay many moons ago. You must have outbid me!
just in case, want to let you know that you may be on to something, or you may not, but I FAR prefer people who think like you to those who swallow every koolaid drop offered by “those in charge”, without question
As we speak there exactly 152 players on the 60 day IL. that’s an average of five players per team out for an extended period of time. With an average of three pitchers per team out for the season. Coincidence, I think not.
And that no one played a full season last year has nothing to do with anything?
Such circumstance should lead to healthier players given the time off, right?
Depends if they trained as hard or not. A whole year of sitting around makes a person a lot weaker physically. I’m not saying there couldn’t be a correlation but wouldn’t throw all my eggs into that basket.
We are just over half way through the 2021 season, With more than 300 players either on the 60 day IL or 30 day IL. Never in the history of baseball has anything even close to this massive injury rate ever happened before.
Well, the theory is your IP shouldn’t be more than 20% over the year before.
True, good point. My Padres have Morejón, Kela, altavilla, guerra, castillo, Báez, all with new Tommy John surgery in 2021, and considering clevinger, wingenter are still recovering from 2020 Tommy John, thats 200% increase, also dodgers have may and Many other teams are also with many pitchers hurt.
True, good point. My Padres have Morejón, Kela, altavilla, guerra, castillo, Báez, all with new Tommy John surgery in 2021, and considering clevinger, wingenter are still recovering from 2020 Tommy John, thats 200% increase, also dodgers have may and Many other teams are also with many pitchers hurt.
True, good point. My Padres have Morejón, Kela, altavilla, guerra, castillo, Báez, all with new Tommy John surgery in 2021, and considering clevinger, wingenter are still recovering from 2020 Tommy John, thats 200% increase, also dodgers have may and Many other teams are also with many pitchers hurt.
@bravesnutter01 …and thankfully none of those “more than 300 players” has died from COVID-19.
P.S. Don’t forget to add things like “spider tack” to your injured-player-equation.
Are you naturally this stupid or do have to like, practice?
Stupid is as stupid does……..
Really guy? So tell me, what are the long term effects of the vaccine? What are the short term effects? How did rats fare when given it? Oh that’s right it wasn’t tested. Don’t call people stupid for being skeptical of a rushed, totally untested vaccine.
separate but related issue – I have no problem with players trying to get an edge, so steroids don’t bother me for THAT reason; what does boggle my mind is folks putting weird crap into their bodies, with NO idea what the negative short or long-term effects might be. Whoa.
Wow, THAT statement’s an oxymoron – the problem with steroids is that people who chose NOT to do it lost jobs. My grandson was competing with people who were doing steroids IN HIGH SCHOOL. So it’s either not play baseball any more, or – wait for it – put weird crap into their bodies, with NO idea what the negative short or long-term effects might be. Whoa.
well, the only thing you can do is your best – there is always room for Freddie Patek in MLB; or ought to be. He’ll win you more games than most of the juiced-up behemoths, except for the very best, who still would have been the very best without the juice.
Nutter is right.
By that, I mean he’s a nutter.
Uh… Oh man, where do I begin? If you’re going to make that assumption @Nutter, you’d need to know what percentage of injured players were vaccinated. Annnddd.. . you’d need to sift through pitcher’s injuries then, and you’d need to try to distinguish what is just possibly fatigue. Remember, none of these guys made more than 15 starts last season.
In Anderson’s case he’s a young pitcher who is still probably adjusting to the length of a big league season. Pitching today is also a lot of max effort because K’s are trendy.
I highly, highly doubt there is any correlation between the vaccine and the injuries.
I’m betting you drink lots of kool aid.
I’m not sure he does; he’s being extremely reasonable here. Koolaid folks can’t do that because the koolaid melts their synapses
You do realize the irony here, don’t you? You’re whole point here is you’re concerned about something that hasn’t been properly researched and tested, and the potential correlation between that and injuries. When I suggest what you’d need to research to prove your theory, Nutter, you threw Koolaid stones from your glass house.
I don’t in fact drink the Koolaid. I can have a reasonable dialogue with someone, but I’m not going to not question baseless assumptions, Nutter.
Your baseless incorrect theory on the various vaccinations is of no consequence whatsoever. But thanks for sharing
LOL! It’s kind of like the baseball baseball gods said “and just in case you’re thinking about competing still..”
Could the Braves punt on this season? If they did I imagine they attempt to reload around:
Acuna
Freemen
Albies
Anderson
Riley
Fried
The rest of the major league team I could see going. There’s nothing too impressive but I would be fine with several lottery tickets.
@Cap: unfortunately, they might have Ozuna back next year, if he pleas to a misdemeanor charge. I don’t know if MLB would have the cojones to give him more than a 1year ban. Personally, I don’t want him back on the team.
Huh..I hadn’t heard that about Ozuna yet. Ya, if they get him back it seems like you have to include him on my list because if you don’t get out from under that contract you certainly aren’t trading it unless you are picking up someone else’s problem.
This is why they need to prepare for 2022 as much as they can at the deadline. That doesn’t include trading Freeman because doing that would kill attendance that they need and there’s no guarantee he’ll come back. Rightfully or not, Braves fans as a whole think Liberty Media doesn’t want a good team, and trading Freeman would destroy any goodwill built up over the last three seasons.
Liberty Media doesn’t give 2 squirts about the Braves or the fans. They only care about $$$$$$$. I hope daily that they sell the team to a non-corporate entity that actually cares.
Anderson should call it a season and rest up. There is no worth left from the pitching front on this team. Trade Fried and rebuild around Acuna and Anderson.
Phil Collins won 80 games, primarily for the Phillies in the early ’30s
And let’s not forget Steve Howe.
Steve Howe. The man who redefined the phrase “lifetime ban”.
yeah, his sobriety was always pretty Fragile, always pretty Close To The Edge, skating away on the thin ice.
still needing a bass player here, and no, there has never been a Geddy Lee in MLB, nor a Chris Squire.
Call up Bill Wyman from Kalamazoo.
Braves can catch a break.
Honestly time to sell at the deadline for the Braves i think. Just not their year.
Mets got the division on lock it seems and with Ozuna basically done for the year, Acuna done for the year, added with the other pitching injuries, might be time to sell and start planning for 2022.
This would be more of a “retool” and not a rebuild. They still have a ton of talent on their roster.
In the shuffling madness…
I think he said his shoulder felt…..as Thick as a Brick!
Everyone Has Had Injuries to Their Pitchers This Year & Why Teams are signing Re-Treads
That Have Failed (EICKHOFF) & One of The Reasons Mets Drafted 8 Pitchers out of their First 10 Picks Today.
It’s another reasons to question big offensive numbers coming out of the minors. Teams are scrambling to pick up arms to pitch in the minors this year because of mounting pitcher injuries, so the offensive numbers are going to be more suspect. Either pitchers are getting injured at higher numbers after not pitching at all last year, or teams are looking to protect their prospects by limiting innings.
While every team has had significant injuries, no team has lost 3 All-Stars and their ace for the entire season. The Braves 2021 season is the equivalent of being kicked in the crotch…twice.
Lost the 1,3, and 4 hitters who all won the Silver Slugger this year. It’s baseball though, weird stuff always happens.
You’re right. Baseball is absolutely nutty. Nothing goes the way it should.
All started with the moving of the All Star game. We have been jinxed ever since. IMO
How will this impact the upcoming reunion tour?
I think this was just a flute injury.
so many props for that one – well done!
RIP
Man, what a tough year for the Braves, while I realize they aren’t the only team to deal with injuries, it has definitely hit them in the hardest spots.
They’ve dealt with losing three of their four best hitters, three of their best SP’s, two young up and comers, their best pen arm for half the season so far, etc.
Yiiikes
The only positive thing I can say is, the division is still fairly winnable even for the Braves.
Just what the Braves need: another injury.
If the Braves decide to sell i have to believe Charlie Morton becomes the number one starter on everyone’s shopping list
When it rains people, when it rains! All I want to see from this team is fight and effort in each game. They have been absolutely crushed and every turn and can’t catch a break.
At least he has Jethro Tull to fall back on!
The Braves will still win two championships in the next 10 years.
Braves over White Sox in 2022
Braves over Angels in 2030
Its nice to have dreams. As silly as yours appears to be. But you do you!
If Miami and Minnesota can both win two championships in less than 10 years then there’s no reason why Atlanta can’t. Say what you will about past failures but this current team (and any future team) has nothing to do with that.
The Angels are finally going to get to the World Series near the end of Trout’s deal when he’s older, at his most expensive, and probably least productive?