Braves starter Jair Jurrjens has been placed on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. He actually did it last Thursday and had been hoping it was but a scratch -- a flesh wound, if you will -- but it’s not getting better.
Atlanta will move Kris Medlen, who has a 2.70 ERA and 15/3 K/BB ratio in 11 relief appearances, into Jurrjens spot in the rotation. Medlen is a starter by trade and if there is any justice in the world he’ll be staying around the rotation to replace Kenshin Kawakami or Derek Lowe after Jurrjens comes back. No, the Braves aren’t likely to make such a move based on Lowe or Kawakami’s performance. I’m just hoping that they each come down with some kind of malady that is serious enough to keep them from pitching but does not affect their health in any other way and goes away the exact moment their contracts with the Braves expire, allowing them to happily ply their trade for other teams.
Craig Kimbrel will be called up from Gwinnett to take Jurrjens’ place on the roster. Kimbrel has a ton of velocity and many people figure he could close one day, but he has a ton of control issues too. At this point he is best deployed to bean the opposing team’s mascot at key strategic points in close ballgames.
Oh, and at this point I feel it necessary to apologize to Jason from IIATMS for telling him this spring that he should keep Jurrjens on his fantasy team because he’s “straight money” or some such nonsense. But then again, what did he expect me to say?