Update: The Braves have finally designated Chris Resop for assignment. Bobby Cox really didn’t show much faith in Resop by only pitching him in blowout wins or loses. Buddy Carlyle was activated from off of the disable list and will replace Resop in the Braves bullpen.
If Rafael Soriano has a good bullpen session on Tuesday, there is a good chance that he will be activated in the Brewers series or early in the Reds series. He is still feeling minor discomfort in his pitching arm, but it’s nothing to serious as of right now. When and if he does return Buddy Carlyle in all likelihood will be sent down to Class AAA Richmond
Left-hander Mike Gonzalez, who is recovering from Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, will be checked by doctors in Atlanta on Tuesday, and is likely to start one or two Minor League rehab assignment with either double-A Mississippi or Triple-A Richmond this week. “He could go to either and crank it up,” Cox said. “It’s all up to how he feels, but technically, everything’s good.”
John Smoltz was scheduled to board the trip with the rest of the Braves players to Milwaukee, but since he is dealing with flu-like symptoms, he is going to make at least one more rehab assignment at Low-A Rome then join the rest of his teammates on the road.
Blisters still continue to bug the Braves starting rotation. Jo Jo Reyes, Jair Jurrjens and Jorge Campillo all are dealing with blisters on there index fingers. Cox said that Jurrjens pitched very well in the series finale versus the Diamondbacks while dealing with two blisters. That could be why his velocity was a bit down from what it was at all this year. If Jorge Campillo or Jo Jo Reyes can’t make there scheduled start on Wednesday or Thursday, Cox has mentioned Charlie Morton or Jeff Bennett as possibilities.
Feel free to comment on the Braves pitching situation at the bottom.
Rafael Soriano: The Atlanta Braves closer coming into this season will be activated either the series finale versus the Diamondbacks or the series opener versus the Brewers. Soriano had two successful relief outings for the AA Mississippi Braves this past week. He said that he felt great and he is ready to help contribute in the Braves pen. His fastball was clocked in the 92-93 range, but that will increase as the season goes along.
Before Soriano’s injury, he completed 4 innings with 5 strikeouts, with a 2.25 ERA and 1 save versus the hated Metropolitans. The best part of Soriano is that he is a power pitcher that throws strikes. Last season for the Braves, in 72 innings pitched, he allowed 15 walk to 70 strikeouts. That is as good as it’s going to get for a reliever. With the addition of Soriano, Phil Stockman is most likely going to be the one sent down just because he has options left. When Soriano returns from the DL, he should return as the closer until John Smoltz returns to the pen days after his return.
John Smoltz: The future Hall of Famer had a successful minor league rehab assignment for the AA Mississippi Braves. He pitched one inning giving up one fluke hit, two groundouts and a flyout. This is also a great sign for the Braves fans and players knowing that John Smoltz is a couple of days away from joining the ball club sometime this week. Since Smoltz isn’t going to discuss his feelings on the rehab assignment to the media anymore, we just have to assume he felt good.
Smoltz did feel some tightness after he woke up a day after his one inning assignment. The Braves described the tightness Smoltz was feeling as the type of normal soreness anybody could feel when pitching for the first time in nearly a month. So of course that is a bit of good news for the tomahawk nation.
Smoltz is set to throw a bullpen session on Monday and he will later decide if he wants to pitch another rehab assignment or not. Since he threw only 12 pitches is his first one I will guess that he will go through another assignment and join the Braves in Cincinnati. If Smoltz feels really well throwing his bullpen session on Monday, he can be very well activated during the Braves series versus the Milwaukee Brewers in a couple of days. When Smoltz is activated it’s safe to assume that the Braves will designate Chris Resop for assignment.
Mike Gonzalez: The former Pittsburgh Pirate great is nipping at the heels to returning to the majors. Gonzalez will begin a rehab assignment this week at AAA Richmond. He pitched an inning Friday and again Saturday in extended-spring training, passing the back-to-back days test without incident. The lefty is on his way to Atlanta to be checked by Braves doctors before he heads to Richmond.
If the checkup goes well with the doctors, we can see Mike Gonzalez in a Braves uniform late this weekend versus the Reds or earlier next week as the Bravos take on the Marlins. He was last being clocked in the 90-92 range while pitching in extended spring training. The addition of Mike Gonzalez will almost certainly be the end the Braves career for Will Ohman or Royce Ring. As both of these quality lefties are out of options and both are free agents to be next season.
Mike Hampton: Well the good news just keeps on rolling for the Bravos. The former 20 game winner is well on his way for another comeback to join the Braves rotation.
Hampton threw some flat-ground throwing for the second time in three days Saturday and reported no problems in the left pectoral muscle that has kept him on the disabled list since the season’s first series versus the Pirates.
“It felt good; I didn’t feel anything,” said Hampton, 35, we can take any good news from him right now. We really shouldn’t get too overly excited, because Hampton is one pitch away from hurting himself again.
He did three sets of 25 throws from 90 feet, and will increase the distance when he throws Monday. Hampton will probably have a few more flat-ground sessions before he throws from the mound, either during the Braves’ six-game trip that starts Tuesday, or shortly after they return home. So good news all around for the Braves thus far.
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