Often injured Mike Hampton has endured a right hamstring injury during a Winter League baseball game last week. This doesn’t come as a surprise since Hampton hasn’t pitched for the Braves since 2005, when he was 5-3 with a 3.50 ERA in 12 starts before blowing out his elbow and having Tommy John ligament-transplant surgery. There isn’t a time table yet to determine when Hampton will return.
“We don’t know when he’ll come back [in winter ball], if at all,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said. “There’s only four weeks left in the season, and hamstring injuries usually take a while.”
If Hampton can stay healthy he will be a huge bonus to the Braves rotation. With Hudson, Smoltz, Glavine, and James, this has the makings of an elite rotation. The Braves plan this off-season as if Hampton wasn’t going to pitch this season. So they went out and acquired young right-handed pitcher Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez for fan favorite Edgar Renteria. With JoJo Reyes improving down the stretch of this year, he has gotten Cox attention by his mental makeup and stuff
“He’s so close to being a No. 2 [starter],” Cox said. “He still needs some work, but maybe we can handle that up here [in the majors].” Many expect Reyes will begin the 2008 season in the minors and join the Braves around May, but it sounds like Cox believes he is ready to open with the team after spring training.
You can also add journeyman Jeff Bennett to the mix also. He carried the Richmond Braves to the IL championship (and won). In his brief appearance with the Braves Bennett pitched very well. He is showing that it isn’t a fluke by dominating batters in the Mexican League. He hasn’t allowed a earn run in his last 11 innings (two starts) of work. As of today Bennett has a microscopic 1.25 ERA.
Another pitcher to keep your eye on is recently added to the 40-man roster, Charlie Morton. Morton has a 94-97 mph fastball, a plus change and slider, and he has a devastating curveball. To top it all off he isn’t afraid to throw any pitch in any count. Morton has been pretty average throughout his minor league career. The second half of this season, and a strong performance in the AFL has Cox, McDowell, and Wren raving about him.
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