Lowe struggles with command; is he hurt?

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If Derek Lowe was pitching hurt Sunday, he wasn't going to say so or use it as an excuse after his poor performance against the Marlins.

After lasting a season-low three innings and gave up six hits, five runs and three walks, Lowe said only that he had a hard time gripping the ball properly.

The veteran right-hander shook his hand to his side at least twice between pitches, as if trying to loosen it. Afterward, he seemed uncomfortable when a reporter asked whether he had soreness or tightness.

"I don't know," said Lowe, who has always taken a lot of pride in being durable and making every start. "I'm not good at this [discussing health issues]. I don't know what to say."

Asked again what was wrong Sunday, if there was a physical reason for his problems, he said, "Nothing. I just didn't have good command. Bad pitching."

Lowe left trailing 5-1, but the Braves rallied with six runs in the last two innings for a 7-6 win. Lowe got no decision and is 2-7 with a 4.24 ERA in his past 13 starts, including 10 Braves losses.

"He just couldn't locate," Cox said. "He walked the leadoff hitter to start the ballgame."

Lowe walked Emilio Bonifacio to start the game, then allowed a Logan Morrison single before Hanley Ramirez's three-run homer with none out. Ramirez later left with light-headedness.

The Braves have scored one or no runs while Lowe has been in seven of his past 13 games, but on Sunday it was all on him -- he put the team in a hole early.

"Cristhian [Martinez] did an unbelievable job of keeping us in the game, and we found a way to win," Lowe said of the reliever who held the Marlins to two hits and one run over four innings.

Lowe wouldn't say whether there were any plans for him to be examined. Cox, asked about Lowe shaking his arm or hand to loosen it, said, "I don't know. He shakes his hand a lot."

Lee (side strain) could return to lineup Monday

Derrek Lee missed Sunday's game with a strained muscle in his right side, but Cox said the first baseman would likely return for Monday's series opener against the New York Mets.

Lee said he strained his right side swinging the bat during Friday's game, then felt the same soreness Saturday and was removed in the fourth inning.

"It's pretty good," he said Sunday. "Just a little bite when I swung a couple of nights ago."

Taking him out of Saturday's game "was just kind of precautionary," Lee said.

He hit off a tee indoors at Turner Field before Sunday's game and spent the rest of the morning in the training room.

"I don't think it's an oblique [muscle] or anything," said Cox, referring to the side-muscle injury that can require a stint on the disabled list. "He's there for us if we need him [to play Sunday].

"But I think if we can get through the day without him doing anything, it'll maybe help that thing and he can open up against the Mets."

Lee is 4-for-29 (.138) with three doubles, five RBIs and eight strikeouts in eight games since coming from the Chicago Cubs in an Aug. 18 trade for three minor-league pitchers.

"He told me, ‘I've been on and off all year, haven't found a comfortable spot all year long,'" Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton said. "We're trying to get him comfortable. Get him healthy and get him comfortable, see what happens."

Kimbrel back to Gwinnett

As planned, the Braves activated Mike Minor on Sunday and optioned reliever Craig Kimbrel back to Triple-A Gwinnett. Minor will make his fourth start Tuesday against the Mets.

The Braves optioned Minor to their Gulf Coast League team on Friday and recalled Kimbrel for the third time, so they could have an extra arm in the bullpen for two days. The hard-throwing rookie pitched Friday.

Minor didn't actually report to the Gulf Coast league team. It was a procedural move to open a roster spot, and he was optioned to the Gulf Coast League team because its season ended Saturday, making him eligible to return to the Braves right away.

The Braves had to activate him Sunday, a day after the Gulf Coast League season ended.

Kimbrel, 22, will be among the Braves' September call-ups, but won't be eligible to return until Sept. 7, after Gwinnett's season ends.

Cox reiterated that Kimbrel figures prominently in the Braves' future. He has a 1.74 ERA with 22 saves and 76 strikeouts in 51-2/3 innings at Gwinnett, and a 0.96 ERA with 17 strikeouts (with 11 walks) in 9-1/3 innings for Atlanta.