LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- A day after Jair Jurrjens left a game with discomfort in his right side, the Braves pitcher was "a little sore" Friday but not believed to be injured seriously.
That was the report from Braves general manager Frank Wren, who said Jurrjens' status was day-to-day. He'll be re-evaluated before a decision is made about the opening-day roster.
Jurrjens received treatment for several hours Friday and left before the Braves' clubhouse was open to reporters. He was not sent out to have an MRI exam.
The right-hander was removed from Thursday’s game against Toronto after one inning, after feeling a twinge in his right side in the rib-cage area. Jurrjens thought it was a cramp, and he was replaced as a precaution in case it was a more serious matter, such as an oblique strain.
Wren had said Thursday that they wanted to see how Jurrjens felt when he woke the next day.
“He felt fine,” the GM said Friday. “He’s a little sore, but it doesn’t sound like anything bad.”
If Jurrjens isn't ready to begin the season, the Braves presumably would turn to rookie left-hander Mike Minor or veteran Rodrigo Lopez to fill out the rotation. Minor lost the fifth-starter battle to Brandon Beachy and was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, but could be recalled without a waiting period if the Braves put someone on the disabled list.
Jurrjens is scheduled to start Tuesday’s exhibition game against Minnesota at Turner Field and make his first regular-season start April 4 at Milwaukee, the team's fourth game.
If the team wanted to give him extra rest without placing him on the disabled list, he could skip Tuesday’s start and push back his season debut to April 6 at Milwaukee, the sixth game of the season. Beachy currently is scheduled to start that day, but could move to April 4.
Jurrjens went 7-6 with a 4.74 ERA in 20 starts during an injury-plagued 2010 season. He was 14-10 with a 2.60 ERA in 2009, the third-lowest ERA among National League starters.
Chipper hits mammoth homer
Chipper Jones' fourth home run of spring training was one of the longest he has hit in recent memory, a three-run blast in the first inning Friday night against Detroit that cleared a 60-foot wall holding the scoreboard in left-center field at Champion Stadium.
It traveled an estimated 450 feet and staked Beachy to a 3-0 lead in a 5-3 split-squad win. The veteran switch-hitter unloaded on a fastball from Tigers left-hander Adam Wilk.
"That was impressive," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who smiled and added, "He's had a terrific spring. I ought to put him in deep freeze until we start the season."
Jones was 1-for-2 with a walk and ranks among NL leaders in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.411), on-base percentage (.459), slugging percentage (.768), doubles (eight), home runs (four) and RBIs (15). He has three homers and four doubles in his past eight games.
Beachy aims higher
He went from undrafted free-agent signee to Braves opening-day rotation in under three years, but Beachy said it was too soon to say all his work paid off.
“I haven’t even won a game in the big leagues,” the rookie said a few hours before pitching six scoreless innings of two-hit ball against Detroit on Friday night. “I mean, it’s definitely an accomplishment to be on the roster, but it’s nothing compared to what I want to accomplish.”
He's scheduled to start the exhibition finale Wednesday against Minnesota at Turner Field.
Beachy, 24, is a formerly obscure right-hander from Indiana Wesleyan. His stock soared in 2010 when he led all minor league pitchers with a 1.73 ERA while recording 148 strikeouts in 119 1/3 innings.
Brought to the majors to replace the injured Jurrjens on Sept. 20, he posted a 3.00 ERA in three starts for the Braves and had 15 strikeouts in 15 innings.
Beachy has limited opponents to seven hits and two runs in 23 innings over his past five spring starts. He had one walk with six strikeouts against Detroit, faced two batters over the minimum in six innings, and threw 50 strikes in 74 pitches.
In two starts against the Tigers over seven days, he allowed three hits in 11 scoreless innings.
"It's always a challenge facing the same team twice in a row, but I like the challenge," he said after Friday's game. "It's really nice now to take a deep breath and know I'm going to Atlanta."
After the news was reported Thursday that he won the job, “I heard from just about everybody that knows me," Beachy said. "My phone was going off all day.”
His first call was to his parents in Indiana, who immediately began planning vacation time and checking into flights to see some of their son’s initial starts.
“They’re pretty excited,” he said, then corrected himself. “They’re ecstatic.”
McLouth finishing strong
Martin Prado, Nate McLouth and Brandon Hicks had two hits apiece in the Braves' split-squad loss Friday against Philadelphia at Clearwater, Fla.
McLouth raised his average to .320 with his third consecutive two-hit game.
Braves starter Lopez was charged with five hits, three runs and three walks in five innings, including Jimmy Rollins' two-run homer in the first inning.
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