Atlanta Braves Rumors & News

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "If Evan Gattis keeps this up, the Braves might just want to dip the big rookie’s spikes in bronze and be done with it. With the Braves down to their final out in the ninth inning, Gattis hit another dramatic, pinch-hit homer Tuesday night, a game-tying solo shot against the Twins to force extra..." May 22

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Cory Rasmus, 25, is one of four baseball-playing brothers and the second to make the major leagues. His older brother Colby, the starting center fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, might have been just as excited as Cory when the Braves gave him his first major league promotion Saturday. The..." May 20

Foxsports.com "The Atlanta Braves enjoyed a significant advantage in recent seasons, deploying not one but two premier left-handed relievers. Now Jonny Venters has undergone Tommy John surgery and Eric O’Flaherty is likely to follow. Huge blows, for sure. But not necessarily crushing. General manager Frank..." May 20

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "After a day to let it sink in, Braves reliever Eric O’Flaherty seemed a little more resigned to the fact that he’s likely headed for season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow. An MRI revealed a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and he has an appointment to see noted orthopedic surgeon Dr...." May 20

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "The back of the bullpen has been one of the Braves greatest strengths in recent years; all of a sudden it’s a point of concern. The Braves learned Saturday that top setup man Eric O’Flaherty has a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, just two days after another top left-handed reliever Jonny..." May 19

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Now that Jason Heyward has returned from the disabled list, manager Fredi Gonzalez is going to have a hard time finding a spot for Evan Gattis in the Braves lineup. He can catch, play left field or first base, but those aren’t exactly weak spots in the Braves lineup. “I think on paper it’s a..." May 19

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "The Braves were finally home Friday night, with their lineup at full strength for the first time all season and playing in front of 43,238 fans at Turner Field. The stage was set. All they needed was somebody to shock them back into rhythm. Enter Justin Upton. The man who homered 12 times to get..." May 18

MLB.com "As we count down the hours before Jason Heyward returns to the Braves lineup for tonight’s series opener against the Dodgers, can somebody please kindly remind me how to get from Sandy Springs to Turner Field? The Braves have played just six home games since Heyward was placed on the disabled..." May 17

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Braves reliever Jonny Venters underwent a second ligament transplant surgery on his pitching elbow Thursday in Pensacola, Fla. A visit to Dr. James Andrews confirmed he would need “Tommy John” surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament, the same surgery Venters had after his 2005 season in..." May 16

Arizona Republic "Third baseman Eric Chavez drove in three runs, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt had three doubles and Ian Kennedy won his first game since Opening Day in the Diamondbacks’ 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves Wednesday. Arizona, which had scored three runs or less in its previous seven games,..." May 16

Fox Sports Arizona "Randy Johnson. Chipper Jones. Patrick Corbin’s remarkable start has drawn him into an elite crowd. Corbin became the only left-hander other than Johnson in franchise history to begin a season 6-0 when he threw seven shutout innings in the Diamondbacks' 2-0 victory over the Braves at Chase..." May 15

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Jonny Venters hasn’t recovered from an elbow injury sustained in the final week of spring training, and the Braves reliever is headed back for another visit with Dr. James Andrews. He’ll see the renowned orthopedic surgeon Thursday in Pensacola, Fla. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez declined to..." May 14

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "For one night, at least, Justin Upton and Chris Johnson made sure that Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers’ worst fears were fully realized. Upton and Johnson, the two players Towers dealt to the Braves in January, combined for seven hits including a pair of two-run homers in a 10-1..." May 14

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Our weekly Heat Check arrives in the form of a one-sport entity, which isn’t to say it’s a one-trick pony. At least we hope not. THE BRAVES: They’re 3-4 on what figured to be a difficult road trip, with three games in Phoenix remaining. They were outscored 23-4 over their final three games in San..." May 13

San Francisco Chronicle "The good vibes from the good ol' days were back at China Basin. Fans cheered Tim Lincecum's every move, even the simple ones. Taking the mound. Walking off the mound. He put down a sacrifice bunt, and fans reacted as if he'd hit a home run. Maybe it was because it was Little League Day (kids will..." May 13

Arizona Republic "The weirdest part will probably be the beginning, when he walks into Chase Field as an away player for the first time and steps foot in the visitors’ clubhouse. But as for facing someone in a Diamondbacks’ uniform — the only jersey he wore during his first six years in the majors — Justin Upton..." May 12

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Justin Upton had a .216 average during a 12-game homerless streak before Saturday, but the Braves left fielder could take some comfort from drawing 11 walks and posting a .400 OBP during that stretch. “Yes, it’s more encouraging when you’re still seeing the ball good, you’re just not putting good..." May 12

San Francisco Chronicle "Though they've won 22 of their 37 games this season, the Giants haven't received the consistent starting pitching on which they've relied for the past four years. Except for Madison Bumgarner. Through one quarter of this season, the 23-year-old left-hander has become the rotation's Mr...." May 12

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Jason Heyward was out of Triple-A Gwinnett’s lineup Friday, a day after getting six plate appearances as a designated hitter in his first injury-rehab game since an emergency appendectomy. “Little sore this morning,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said in an email. “Normal when getting up to..." May 11

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Off the disabled list and back in the middle of the Braves’ lineup, Brian McCann says he’s thinking only about helping the team win now, not looming free agency or his uncertain future in Atlanta beyond 2013. In Thursday’s series opener at San Francisco, he did that. The veteran catcher had a..." May 10

Cincinnati Enquirer "Reds manager Dusty Baker rolled the dice with Mike Leake. The 7-2 score tells you how it worked out. The Reds lost in the series finale with the Atlanta Braves, 7-2, before a crowd of 32,640 at Great American Ball Park. It is the first time this year the Reds have lost a home series. They..." May 09

Cincinnati Enquirer "With the Reds down to their last strike, Devin Mesoraco and Shin-Soo Choo hit back-to-back home runs off of Braves closer Craig Kimbrel to give the Reds a 5-4 victory over the Braves at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday. Kimbrel had a full count on Mesoraco when the pinch-hitter hit a shot to..." May 08

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Brian McCann was sporting a cleanly-shaven head and a smile on his face Monday as he prepared to make his return from shoulder surgery at Great American Ballpark. At first, he didn’t recognize the new uniform pants in his locker with the thin blue stripe down the side the Braves wear with their..." May 07

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "With apologies to Brian McCann, Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons made himself the story Monday night. The Braves shortstop is starting to heat up – and he used McCann’s return from shoulder surgery to show how much. Simmons homered twice for the first time in his career to lead the Braves to a..." May 07

New York Post "Jon Niese was brutal, the defense behind him lethargic and the offense lacking against Braves ace Tim Hudson. Other than that, it was a great afternoon of baseball for the Mets. Niese’s worst performance of the season coupled with all the other troubles became a 9-4 Cinco de Mauling at Turner..." May 06

New York Post "There are many ways the Braves are ahead of the Mets, but one of the biggest differences between the teams was on display yesterday during yet another of those Dog Day Afternoons here at Turner Field. The Braves are simply much more athletic than the Mets, and you can start in left field where..." May 06

Rotoworld.com "Braves activated C Brian McCann from the 15-day disabled list. McCann will return to Atlanta's starting lineup on Monday night after missing the first five weeks of the regular season with a shoulder injury. Catcher is a refreshingly deep position this year in fantasy leagues, but the veteran..." May 06

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Five weeks into the season, the Braves are welcoming back their six-time former All-Star catcher. Brian McCann, who’s been on the disabled list since opening day recovering from October shoulder surgery, played his final rehab game for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, then caught the Braves’..." May 06

Hardball Talk "Brian McCann will play in the first half of tomorrow’s double-header between Triple-A Gwinnett and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Braves catcher has been recovering from a surgically-repaired right shoulder. If all goes according to plan, McCann could join the Braves on Monday as they begin a..." May 05

New York Post "Who knew the Mets had a little Houdini in them? Almost certain to lose on several occasions in the late innings last night, manager Terry Collins’ crew somehow kept escaping until finally delivering a knockout blow to the Braves. Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy inflicted the final damage,..." May 04

MLB.com "Another game, another step closer for catcher Brian McCann as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. After four games with Class A Rome, the six-time All-Star continued his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves on Thursday, going 1-for-4 with an RBI single against the..." May 03

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Jason Heyward has been walking on the treadmill and riding a stationary bike for the past two days and feeling more encouraged a week into his recovery from an emergency appendectomy. Heyward thought it might be late May before he was able to return but now he’s hoping for sooner. “I hope I don’t..." May 02

Washington Post "The Washington Nationals’ season has begun with a rocky start of inconsistent play, a losing record in the first month and the team bending from the weight of lofty expectations. On Wednesday, they sent their best pitcher to the mound against their toughest division opponent, and Jordan Zimmermann..." May 02

Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Apparently, the man just wanted a little drama. Tim Hudson came up short his first two attempts at 200 wins, both on the road, but his third try Tuesday night at Turner Field played out like one long tribute to the many facets of Hudson’s game. He dominated the Nationals in an 8-1 victory..." May 01

Fox Sports South "The Braves have placed reliever Luis Ayala on the 15-day disabled list as he deals with an anxiety disorder, the team announced Tuesday. Ayala, for whom the organization traded for earlier this month (Orioles), has no history of anxiety issues, but general manager Frank Wren said it's a..." May 01

CSN Washington "His overall numbers — 3.13 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, nearly one strikeout per inning — are by no means cause for alarm. Those are the numbers you'd expect from a good major-league pitcher. With Stephen Strasburg, though, the bar has been set exceedingly high, in part due to the hype surrounding the young..." April 30

CSN Washington "Atlanta has come back to Earth a bit, as they no longer hold the game's best record, ceding that title to the surprising Boston Red Sox (18-7). They do, however, still possess the only winning record in the division, as the Nationals (13-13), Phillies, and Mets all continue to hover at or just..." April 30

Detroit Free Press "Omar Infante homered for the second straight day against the team that once traded him. Miguel Cabrera homered on a 3-0 pitch for the second time in his career. Both blows came in the seventh inning and turned what had been a one-run game into an 8-3 romp for the Tigers over the Braves and a..." April 29

Washington Post "On April 14, having laid waste to the Nationals, the Braves packed their things in the Nationals Park visitors’ clubhouse and headed toward the rest of their season as the unquestioned best team in baseball. They had swept the Nationals in a three-game series and outscored them, 18-5, to run their..." April 29