Atlanta Braves

As we get one All-Star back from thumb injury another falls. Jason Heyward, the rookie phenom, who has taken Hotlanta by storm, landed on the DL today with an left thumb injury.

The good news was the MRI showed no structural damage so two weeks of resting the thumb should do the trick and he will hopefully be back by the All-Star break.

While the Braves have yet to decide who will be removed from the rotation to make room for Jair Jurrjens, Kris Medlen shouldn’t be on the chopping block given the way he’s produced.  All you have to do is look at his numbers over his first 22 appearances (nine starts) for proof:

5 Wins
74.1 Innings
3.15 ERA
1.13 WHIP
54 Strikeouts (6.5 K/9)
13 Walks (1.6 BB/9)
.288 BABIP

As a starting pitcher, he’s gone 4-0 with a 3.40 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 6.0 K/9.  The real question is, can he maintain this success?

When Braves phenom Tommy Hanson struggled in his last outing, the Braves hoped it was a fluke.  Lasting just 3.2 innings against a middle-of-the-road White Sox team, the Braves figured to see Hanson bouncing back against the Tigers.  They didn't get their wish.

Hanson, who again lasted just three and two thirds innings and gave up six runs (five of them earned), was chased from his second straight start.  I think Hanson will be thrilled to see interleague play end.

Fear not Braves fans; Chipper Jones has apparently found his stroke after a painfully slow start to the 2010-2011 season.

Extended his hitting-streak to 10 games on Saturday with a three-run home runs, and his bat is looking livelier than it has for a long time.

During the streak, he's batting .389 with 10 RBI, 6 runs, 2 home runs, and two stolen bases. He has five walks and struck out six. The streak also includes three multi-hit games.

In keeping with today’s theme inspired by Dustin Pedroia’s three home run game against the Rockies, here is a list of every player to have hit three or more home runs in a major league game .

You will note that three home run games have been particularly common in the last 20 years, when the PED-fueled offensive barrage reached its peak.

I know, I know.

The Braves are a first place team with good vibrations all around.

They've been one of the best teams in the game since the beginning of May and really lack any substantial holes in their line-up.

But...I like to think ahead.

And, right now, I'm thinking about how Frank Wren and Company can improve the National League's top run-scoring offense.

There are a couple of different routes the Braves could pursue to achieve this.

The end of the 2010 season will also mark the end of the managerial career of Atlanta Braves skipper Bobby Cox.

Cox has spent a total of 25 years as the manager of the Braves over two separate stints and has announced that this season will be his last.

Since 1990, Cox and the Braves front office have been the model of consistency among professional sports franchises.

Cox is fourth on the all-time list for managerial wins and has been named Manager of the Year four times, most recently in 2005.

As Major League Baseball steams toward the All-Star break, the Atlanta Braves find themselves in first place in the NL East, and holding the best record in the National League.

That's no misprint. For a group that was picked to finish fourth in their division, the resurgent Braves have found success from some unlikely sources, and a familiar process.

First, the unlikely.

Through his first 13 starts in 2010, the Atlanta Braves have given pitcher Kenshin Kawakami pitiful run support.

With the Braves scoring just 3.13 runs in KK's outings, it’s hardly a surprise that he is 0-9. Bad luck combined with mediocre pitching can do that to you.

When the Atlanta Braves signed Troy Glaus this past offseason, they hoped for an offensive spark that has been lacking at first base in recent years; they got much more than they bargained for. 

Glaus has been stellar this year, and last night was no exception.  Glaus hit a home run off Robinson Tejada on an 0-2 count to give the Braves a 5-4 victory over the tough-luck Royals Saturday night.