Reliever Peter Moylan will have an MRI, possibly Monday, to find out what's ailing his lower back. The Braves put the veteran reliever on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday after it was clear he couldn't pitch through pain anymore.
There is some concern, given Moylan’s history of back problems. The sidearm pitcher has had surgery twice for bulging discs. But Moylan said Sunday the pain is different this time.
“I used to get shooting pains down my leg and I’m not getting that now,” said Moylan, who will stay behind in Atlanta when the Braves travel to Los Angeles to begin a three-city trip.
Moylan had surgery in 2001 and 2003, which prompted him to change his delivery and drop down to the side. He resurrected his career as a sidearm pitcher for the Australian team in the World Baseball Classic and was signed by the Braves.
Moylan said the fact he’s been able to pitch through the pain until now gives him hope that it’s not serious.
“I’m fairly confident that it’s not going to need surgery,” he said.
Moylan pitched Tuesday and Thursday against the Marlins before waking Saturday in considerable discomfort.
“There’s no point treating it to come back and pitch one day and then having it flare up the next day, then treating it again,” Moylan said. “I want to be able to pitch three days in a row. I want to be able to do what I’ve done in the past and not have any restrictions. We all decided it was best to get it checked out and make sure it’s all good.”
Moylan tied for second in the major leagues last year with 85 appearances. In the past two years combined, he was second only to Pedro Feliciano (180) in appearances with 172 games. Feliciano, the former Met, is likely headed for season-ending shoulder surgery with the Yankees.
Heyward hitting second
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez batted Jason Heyward second on Sunday for the first time this season, though it was more about giving his usual No. 2 hitter Nate McLouth the day off than any pressure from critics of his lineup.
“I don’t even listen to the masses,” he said with a smile.
Gonzalez has come under fire by some fans for hitting Heyward sixth despite his patience at the plate and speed, and McLouth’s struggles. Gonzalez said he hoped the change would get Heyward going. Hayward entered the game 2-for-18 and was hitting only .217.
Whether Heyward’s 2-for-4 day, which included a homer, will have any bearing when McLouth returns to the lineup Monday is unclear.
“I’m not saying he’s going to be there permanently,” Gonzalez said. “I’m not saying he’s not.”
Linebrink looks nasty
The same day the Braves put Moylan on the disabled list with a sore back, they called on veteran Scott Linebrink to pitch in both games of a doubleheader. The veteran right-hander responded with his nastiest work of the season.
He struck out three of the four batters he faced in the ninth inning to close out a 4-0 shutout in the second game (one batter reached on a wild pitch). And he got a key out in the first game by coaxing a fly-out from David Wright to strand two runners in the seventh of a 4-2 win.
"That's what I pride myself on is being able to take the ball and go out there and take the stress off the guys we're really going to need," said Linebrink, who enabled Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel to rest in the second game.
Linebrink, 34, and right hander Jairo Asencio, a Triple-A call-up, will be counted on to carry some of Moylan's load. That looks all the more promising for Linebrink, who has rebounded from giving up a pinch-hit grand slam to Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies by throwing four scoreless outings without allowing a hit.
On Saturday against the Mets, Linebrink worked ahead with a mid-90s fastball and got them swinging at a diving split-fingered pitch.
“It’s a pitch that is sometimes a little cantankerous,” Linebrink said. “Sometimes it comes out of my hand as a ball, but here lately I’ve been trying to throw it up in the strike zone. When I get ahead that’s the combination that works for me.”
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