Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves news, rumors and injuriesBraves | Eury Perez to start in CF for ATL? Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:29:18 -0800 Atlanta Braves OF Eury Perez is the early favorite to start in center field to begin the year with OF Melvin Upton Jr. (foot) likely sidelined until at least May 1, in the opinion of MLB.com's Mark Bowman Fantasy Tip: Perez tallied just 10 plate appearances in the majors last season, and he isn't an impact player in standard leagues. That said, he's bested 20 stolen bases in the minors each of the past five seasons and could be a cheap stolen base source to start the year for NL-only gamers. Comment () | Share: Braves | Melvin Upton could be out until May Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:20:08 -0800 Updating a previous report, Atlanta Braves OF Melvin Upton Jr. (foot) is expected to be sidelined until at least May 1. Fantasy Tip: Upton was little more than a late-round flier in large mixed leagues prior to this prognosis due to consecutive poor seasons. Now, he can be bypassed entirely in standard league drafts. His injury will provide NL-only gamers a discount for his power and speed combo, but his batting average projects to be a drag in the low-.200s. Those in really deep mixed leagues might want to also draft and stash him in a DL spot. Comment () | Share: Braves | Melvin Upton has sesamoiditis Fri, 27 Feb 2015 13:48:17 -0800 Updating a previous report, Atlanta Braves OF Melvin Upton Jr.'s (foot) MRI exam Friday, Feb. 27, revealed sesamoiditis, or inflammation in the bone behind the ball of the left foot. He'll be in a short-leg cast for two weeks and a walking boot for roughly four to six weeks. Upton will miss most of spring training and is expected to start baseball activities in early April. OFs Todd Cunningham, Eury Perez and Zoilo Almonte are the likely candidates to fill in in center field with Upton out. Fantasy Tip: Although Upton's batting average tanked the last two years, he was still a sleeper candidate at the end of mixed drafts for his stolen base abilities. That won't be the case now, as he could miss the first month of the season. Don't forget about Eric Young Jr. figuring into the outfield mix, at least as a platoon candidate. He or Almonte will likely be your best fantasy bets in Upton's absence, but their main value will come in NL-only leagues. Comment () | Share: Braves | Melvin Upton likely to miss spring training Fri, 27 Feb 2015 12:56:57 -0800 Atlanta Braves OF Melvin Upton Jr. (foot) is expected to miss spring training, as he will be in a cast for two weeks and then a walking boot for another four to six weeks. Fantasy Tip: Upton has been arguably the worst everyday player in baseball the past two seasons, so this is another hit to his underwhelming fantasy stock. He has power-speed upside, but he has hit just .198 through 910 at-bats over the past two seasons. He is not worth drafting in the majority of mixed leagues. Comment () | Share: Braves | Andrelton Simmons fine Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:09:51 -0800 Atlanta Braves SS Andrelton Simmons (oblique) did some light throwing Friday, Feb. 27, and "dry swings." His oblique injury doesn't look like it will keep him out of action for very long. Fantasy Tip: Simmons is a defensive star in the league. Unfortunately, he doesn't have much going for him at the dish, especially after he hit 10 fewer home runs in 2014 than he did the year prior. And he doesn't run very much at all, either, meaning he's a late-round flier at the position in the hope that he can rebound some from his overcorrection in 2014. Comment () | Share: Braves | Melvin Upton has toe injury Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:08:29 -0800 Atlanta Braves OF Melvin Upton Jr. (toe) is dealing with an injury to his toe, and he's heading for X-rays. Fantasy Tip: Upton is a deep sleeper in mixed league drafts, mainly for his stolen base contributions. You know he'll be a thorn in your side in the batting average department, as he's posted BAs of just .208 and .184 in the last two years. Monitor his toe injury. Comment () | Share: Braves | Craig Kimbrel throwing changeup Fri, 27 Feb 2015 07:17:24 -0800 Atlanta Braves RP Craig Kimbrel throws a changeup during spring training every year. He said it helps with his arm slot extension and it prevents taxing his arm with too many curveballs. Fantasy Tip: Kimbrel will likely be overshadowed by Aroldis Chapman in the relief pitcher market. Kimbrel is about as safe of a reliever as you can find, considering Chapman has dealt with injuries of late. Look for Kimbrel after the first few rounds pass. Comment () | Share: Braves | Jose Pereza among Braves' options at 2B Thu, 26 Feb 2015 18:33:28 -0800 Atlanta Braves 2B Jose Peraza, 2B Alberto Callaspo, 2B Phil Gosselin, SS Jace Peterson and 3B Kelly Johnson are all part of a "wide open" competition for the starting second base job, manager Fredi Gonzalez said Thursday, Feb. 26. Fantasy Tip: Peraza is the Braves' top-ranked prospect, and whether or not he wins the starting gig out of Spring Training, he is probably worth stashing, especially in NL-only leagues. Comment () | Share: Braves | Manager likes the speed Eric Young brings Thu, 26 Feb 2015 13:15:09 -0800 Atlanta Braves OF Eric Young Jr. received praise from manager Fredi Gonzalez Thursday, Feb. 26. Gonzalez noted Young brings a speed dynamic the team has lacked in recent years. Fantasy Tip: Young stole 30 bases with just 316 plate appearances last season, and he had 46 swipes in 2013, when he played in 148 games. He shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a one-trick pony, but in the later rounds of mixed drafts, Young is a viable speed target. Comment () | Share: Braves | Craig Kimbrel unveils changeup Thu, 26 Feb 2015 12:43:38 -0800 Atlanta Braves RP Craig Kimbrel threw a couple changeups as he faced hitters Thursday, Feb. 26. Manager Fredi Gonzalez suggested that Kimbrel might just be tinkering with the pitch, and he's unsure how much Kimbrel might use the offering when games start. Kimbrel has posted a 1.43 ERA with 476 strikeouts in 289 innings in four-plus years. Fantasy Tip: The thought of arguably the most dominant and nasty closer in baseball adding a new pitch to keep hitters confused and off-balance is scary. But with the pitch being new, it's unclear how much he'll even feature it or how successful it'll be. As an established K artist, there's justification in reaching for Kimbrel in the earlier rounds of drafts to boost you over the competition in the K category. Comment () | Share: Braves | Andrelton Simmons limited early Thu, 26 Feb 2015 08:08:12 -0800 Atlanta Braves SS Andrelton Simmons (oblique) will not throw in the early days of camp due to a sore oblique. The team hopes he'll be ready in a week. Fantasy Tip: The injury isn't serious, but Simmons took a step backwards in his second full season last year. He has hit .248 and .244 in his two seasons, and he hit just seven homers after his promising 17-homer campaign in 2013. At this stage, he's a low-end SS and a player with upside for your MI spot. Comment () | Share: Braves | Nick Markakis won't rush back Wed, 25 Feb 2015 10:23:01 -0800 Updating a previous report, Atlanta Braves OF Nick Markakis (neck) won't play in spring games next week and is unsure if he'll be ready for opening day after having fusion surgery for a herniated disc in his neck Dec. 17. He was cleared to increase his physical activity Tuesday, Feb. 24, however. "Opening day is a goal," Markakis said. "Neck surgery is pretty serious so you don't want to rush it. I will have six weeks to do my thing and try to get ready for opening day." Manager Fredi Gonzalez is optimistic that Markakis will be ready for opening day. Fantasy Tip: Markakis has been a pretty durable player in his career, but neck fusion surgery is pretty serious. After two straight years of a drop in offensive production, Markakis suddenly is a pretty boring fantasy outfield bat, especially with the move to the National League and a pitcher's park. Comment () | Share: Braves | Nick Markakis expected to be ready Wed, 25 Feb 2015 09:53:41 -0800 Atlanta Braves OF Nick Markakis (neck) could be playing in spring games a week into the schedule, and manager Fredi Gonzalez is expecting Markakis to be ready for opening day. Fantasy Tip: At age 31, we basically know what we'll get from Markakis these days. Double-digit home runs with a respectable batting average and a handful of stolen bases. Complicating things this year is the fact that he's injured and has moved the National League in a pitcher-friendly park. That doesn't make him very intriguing at all. Markakis does nothing more than fill out your outfield depth at the tail end of drafts. Comment () | Share: Braves | Nick Markakis may miss opener Wed, 25 Feb 2015 07:04:14 -0800 Atlanta Braves OF Nick Markakis (neck) may not be ready for the season opener. He was cleared to increase physical activity Tuesday, Feb. 24. Markakis said he's not going to rush back. Fantasy Tip: He still has six weeks and should have plenty of time to get in game shape. Markakis shifting to a pitchers' park on a weaker offense makes him a low-upside OF4 or OF5. Comment () | Share: Braves | Wandy Rodriguez impressing Tue, 24 Feb 2015 14:35:15 -0800 Atlanta Braves SP Wandy Rodriguez has impressed so far in his spring workouts, and he is a leading candidate for the No. 5 starting rotation spot. Rodriguez is competing with SPs Eric Stults, Mike Foltynewicz and Manny Banuelos for the spot. The Braves could consider putting Foltynewicz or Banuelos in the bullpen if they don't win the job. Rodriguez has made only 18 starts the last two years due to injuries, and he was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in six starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Rodriguez is healthy and throwing the ball with little effort. Fantasy Tip: Rodriguez would only be an option as a late-round pick in deep mixed leagues if he wins that final rotation spot. There's a lot of spring competition left, so we likely won't know for a while. Stay tuned. Comment () | Share:  |
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