Atomic RoadRunners | Andrew Flynn’s High-Energy Fantasy Baseball

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Peter Moylan (elbow) is scheduled to be examined Wednesday by Dr. James Andrews and “could be out quite a while.” Moylan has been diagnosed with a strained elbow, but the newspaper notes than an MRI “showed irregularities that could indicate a serious injury.” It sounds like Moylan is going to be out a significant amount of time and possibly miss the season. Manny Acosta will likely get the first chance to close games until Rafael Soriano returns from the DL. Manager Bobby Cox said Tuesday that the Braves “will just mix it up” by using a closer-by-committee approach that includes Manny Acosta, Blaine Boyer and Will Ohman while Moylan and Rafael Soriano are sidelined. Acosta is the favorite for saves. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

Also, under the headline “Another Shrimp Barbied“, Bugs and Cranks had the following to say:

Sometimes, I don’t know why I bother trying to stay positive.

Scant hours after I listed Peter Moylan as one of the lone bright spots in the Braves’ so-far ho-hum season, the Aussie hurler goes and winds up on the disabled list.

Son of a bitch.

For those of you scoring at home, that’s now four starting pitchers missing time with injuries, and two closers on the shelf with bum wings. In the season’s first twelve games. To say nothing of Mike Gonzalez and Anthony Lerew, already on the DL with healing elbows. At this point, only two weeks into the season, I can come to one of three conclusions:

1. Someone in the Braves’ clubhouse has secretly replaced all the pitchers’ arms with single-ply tissue paper, to see if anyone notices. (Note: I have. Now stop it already.)

2. Tim Hudson and Jair Jurrjens, the only Braves pitchers seemingly unaffected by this injury epidemic, must have arms made of reinforced concrete, with solid steel tendons. Either that, or they’re next.

3. If Mike Hampton, who already has plenty of material for an ‘Injury-a-Day‘ desk calendar, actually attempts to return during this seemingly star-crossed period, I fear the man will literally shatter into tiny pieces on the mound. These are omens, Mikey. Stay away until the getting’s good.

And right now, the getting is anything but good. Just look around. Jeff Bennett’s thrown the most innings on the team, other than Hudson. Manny Acosta and his 7.20 ERA are closing out games, assuming that sort of thing is actually required. And some guy named Jorge Campillo is out in the bullpen, with a uniform on. And Bobby Cox is calling him in to pitch in real live games. Freaky.

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