Apr 14 2009
Is this the end for Glavine?
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
UPDATED 5:48 p.m.
ATLANTA — Tom Glavine will spend the next two weeks resting his shoulder, then the only active 300-game winner hopes to resume his pursuit of a spot in the Atlanta Braves’ rotation.
Glavine was diagnosed with inflammation of his left rotator cuff by Dr. James Andrews today in Birmingham, according to published reports this afternoon.
The Braves don’t believe the injury is serious, but one has to wonder if this is yet another strike against the 43-year-old lefty’s hopes to rejoin the Braves. Glavine will be re-evaluated in two weeks, and if all is well with his shoulder, the future Hall of Famer will resume preparation to take the fifth spot in Atlanta’s rotation.
For now, it’s going to be Jo-Jo Reyes manning the last slot. Reyes really impressed with his mental approach and his aggressiveness on the mound during spring training, after a 2008 season marked by a decent early stretch, followed by a horrid June and July that landed him back in the minors.
But he went 2-0 this spring, and with Charlie Morton still building his arm strength after missing most of spring with an oblique injury, Reyes is the logical choice. Yes, I hear the Tommy Hanson folks screaming to get the super-prospect to the majors, but I think there is value in not rushing the 22-year-old wunderkid to the bigs just yet.
Folks, Hanson WILL be here, and soon. Believe me, the Braves prefer for Reyes to show the toughness and the command he displayed in spring training, giving them a lefty in a rotation that is all right-handed. Also, the Braves prefer for Hanson to get a few more Triple-A starts under his belt before promoting him to The Show.
But if Reyes struggles and Glavine isn’t able to resume getting ready in two weeks … well, then all bets are off and it’s likely going to be Hanson Time, perhaps by early May. We shall see.
And now on to this morning’s original post:
ATLANTA — Tom Glavine’s list of accomplishments speaks for itself: two-time Cy Young award winner, World Series MVP, multiple All-Star selection, 300-game winner, future Hall of Famer …
But one thing the legendary lefty hasn’t done is come back from surgery. He’s never had to until now, and there is strong reason to wonder if the Braves’ projected fifth starter’s next move will be into retirement, and not the starting rotation.
Glavine heads to see Dr. James Andrews today in Birmingham, after feeling shoulder discomfort during an at-bat Sunday for Double-A Mississippi. This comes after the 43-year-old complained of soreness during spring training, yet was on target to make his season debut Saturday at Pittsburgh.
That duty now falls on Jo-Jo Reyes, whose five career victories are exactly 300 fewer than Glavine. But it may be Reyes – or Charlie Morton, or even super phenom Tommy Hanson – who becomes the fifth starter for the surging Braves because it’s quite possible Glavine’s comeback from August elbow and shoulder surgery ends here.
That’s not to say Andrews will find major damage inside Glavine’s shoulder. Perhaps it’s just scar tissue causing the discomfort. But maybe it’s something else, and if it is, it’s likely we’ve seen Glavine for the final time. Just from reading some of his quotes the past few months, it’s unlikely Glavine would go through another lengthy rehab in order to try and pitch again later in 2009 or beyond.
So here we stand, wondering if indeed the next time we see No. 47 on the field, it will be when the Braves retire his number. That’s certainly not what the lefty or the team had in mind when he came back to the Braves after his five years with the Mets.
Glavine only pitched in 13 games in 2008, going 2-4 with a 5.54 ERA. His last year with the Mets, Glavine won 13 games with a 4.45 ERA, numbers which certainly would’ve helped the Braves last season.
And this season, too. While Atlanta reconstructed its rotation, Glavine figured to be the lefty at the back, that veteran presence to go along with newly acquired vets Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, and Kenshin Kawakami (the later a vet of the Japanese Central League, of course).
Maybe I’m just being cynical, but I’m not expecting good news today. I’d love to be wrong. I’d love to see Glavine make it back, be healthy enough to make 20 starts, and help pitch the Braves into contention.
But the odds are it will be Reyes or Morton – and eventually by mid-summer, Hanson – manning the fifth spot.
—30—
Hi Bud,
I agree with you! Kind of sad for a pitcher the quality of TG to go out this way. I think he will have to have a second surgery on his shoulder.
We can all hope though.
On the upside, maybe we can see a glimpse of the REAL JoJo. I think he has the talent, but does he have the head to go with it???