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Sunday, June 8, 2008
Injuries sinking the Braves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In Frank Wren’s first season as general manager, the Braves have seen 14 players go on the disabled list 16 times for a total of 481 man games. These are considered extraordinary totals in early June, especially given the fact Mike Hampton still has time for another comeback.
“We felt like, coming out of spring training, we were a very good club,” Wren said Sunday. “But by the end of the first week, we were already taking on water.”
Yes, well, sticking with the whole water theme, the Braves’ life signs lately have been limited to air bubbles.
They lost to Philadelphia, 6-3, Sunday. They were swept in a home series for the first time, unlike on the road, where they now head for 10 games and realize losing sweeps are commonplace.
They are 6-1/2 games out of first. They were only a game out until losing 10 of 15. That whole thing about skating through a period of injuries? Gone. Turns out, Hades is a pretty short flight.
“I think it caught up with us,” Mark Teixeira said. “I’m not going to use it as an excuse, and I don’t think anybody in here will. But when you’re missing key guys like Chipper [Jones] and [Mark] Kotsay and Matt Diaz and John Smoltz, and our bullpen is banged up, it’s going to catch up with you sooner or later.”
The trade deadline is July 31. Sorry, but Wren doesn’t have nearly that long to wait before making a move.
The roster Wren brought to spring training was deep and enabled the Braves to withstand a normal number of injuries. The problem is the team passed normal a month ago, morphed into a cartoon and drove straight into a wall.
At various times this season, the Braves have lost nine members of the pitching staff, including their best starter (Smoltz, for the season) and their best reliever (Rafael Soriano, for 45 games). The 14 players on the disabled list — eight currently — tie for the most in the majors.
To give you some idea the extent of the injuries, consider this: Their total man games lost of 481 projects to 1,218 over a full season. That’s nearly 300 more than last season (920).
It has gotten so bad that the Braves can’t even hold Chipper Jones Bat Day without it turning into pathos. Jones was scratched from Sunday’s lineup because of a quad strain. The marketing department should’ve stuck with something safer, like Mike Hampton MRI Day.
Injuries and sports are frequent dance partners but Wren admits he hasn’t quite experienced anything like this. “I’ve had long meetings in the training room every day. That’s not where I want to have my meetings,” he said. “I’ve had more injury rehab calls this year from minor-league managers than I care to remember.”
The Braves are back to .500 (26-26). Even before Sunday’s loss — which saw the Braves strand 10 baserunners and reliever Blaine Boyer get whacked for three runs in one-third of an inning — Wren knew the team was living a charmed existence.
“I feel good that we’re still above .500,” he said. “When you look up and see eight, nine, 10 guys on the disabled list, that’s a lot of scrambling to do to keep a club on the field. So far, we’ve been able to keep our head above the water. But we’re getting to the point of the season where keeping your head above water is not quite enough. You’ve got to swim.”
He wouldn’t say whether he felt the team had to acquire a starter. Or a reliever. Or anybody who remembers how hit with runners in scoring position (team average: .259). General managers, as a rule, don’t like to tip their hand.
“You never want to make a move with the other club thinking you’re desperate,” Wren said.
They don’t have to think it. The DL is public, and everybody can see the bubbles.
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