Jurrjens MRI results due Wednesday

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves standout Jair Jurrjens had an MRI exam on his pitching shoulder Tuesday and should know Wednesday whether there's significant injury or just soreness often associated with the resumption of throwing after an offseason.

Jurrjens flew to Atlanta on Tuesday morning from the Braves' spring-training headquarters near Orlando after complaining of lingering soreness since arriving a few days earlier. Braves pitchers and catchers aren't scheduled to report until Friday, but he and a few others got to camp early.

Two persons familiar with the situation told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday that Jurrjens had some discomfort in his shoulder that began when he felt a twinge while playing in a low-key ballgame last week in his native Curacao.

The soreness lingered over the weekend in Florida, and the decision was made to fly him to Atlanta for what general manager Frank Wren said was strictly a precautionary measure.

The Braves don't think Jurrjens has a serious injury and a team trainer examined his shoulder in Florida and found that the rotator cuff and labrum seemed structurally sound. The MRI exam that Jurrjens underwent Tuesday should show any tissue damage in the shoulder.

He will have the MRI scan examined by a Braves orthopedist on Wednesday.

The Braves can ill afford any extended time without Jurrjens, who last season was 14-10 with a 2.60 ERA that was the third-lowest in the National League in 2009. One of the top young pitchers in baseball, Jurrjens just turned 24 and is seven months older than Braves phenom Tommy Hanson.

Jurrjens had some issues with shoulder weakness in the past, but not since he began an offseason strengthening program. Jurrjens now undergoes specialized shoulder workouts early each offseason in Tampa before returning to Curacao.

He pitched a career-high 215 innings in 2009 and allowed two earned runs or fewer in 26 of 34 starts. He was NL Pitcher of the Month in September after going 4-1 with a 1.25 ERA.

Jurrjens had a 2.47 ERA in 22 starts after early June, but only a 9-7 record in those games. The Braves scored two runs or fewer while he was in 14 of those 22 games.

In seven of his final 22 starts, Jurrjens failed to get a win while allowing three earned runs or fewer in seven or more innings.