If you haven’t already subjected yourself to the gruesome image of
Tim Hudson’s ankle bending in ways ankles aren’t supposed to bend, don’t
bother. Just know that it was awful, and take comfort in being able to
sleep tonight without that image rolling around your brain.
Hudson’s ankle is broken, and he’s done for the season.
Tim Hudson will miss the rest of the season following Monday's gruesome ankle injury. (AP Photo)
That is, obviously, a pretty big blow to the Atlanta Braves, who
have a healthy lead in the National League East. It’s good that the lead
is healthy, because Atlanta is a relatively flawed team. Luckily for
Braves fans, the three teams chasing them—the Phillies, Nationals and
Mets (seriously, check the standings; the New Yorkers started Thursday
only two games behind the Nats)—are very flawed teams.
But what do the Braves do about Hudson’s absence? They will miss his
leadership, of course, and his steady presence on the mound. In his
nine years with the franchise, Hudson has a 3.56 ERA in 243 starts (plus
one relief appearance). This year, he has a 3.97 ERA, but he’s been his
old self lately; in 10 starts since the beginning of June, he has a
2.73 ERA.
Unlike some teams, the Braves have decent options.
Brandon Beachy is Atlanta’s ace in the hole. The talented
righthander had Tommy John surgery last June, but was right on the cusp
of being ready to return to the majors even before the Hudson injury.
He’s made a total of nine rehab starts this season—he had a hiccup in
his original rehab, a common occurrence in the Tommy John process—and
has a 2.92 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 32 hits allowed in 40 innings.
Before the injury, Beachy had a nifty 2.00 ERA in 13 starts and had
only allowed 49 hits in 81 innings. In his 41 career starts, he has a
3.07 ERA and is averaging 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Of course,
those numbers don’t necessarily mean much right now. The process of
coming back from Tommy John surgery doesn’t end when a pitcher reaches
the majors again. It’s an ongoing situation, and the Braves and Beachy
are well aware of this fact.
A few weeks ago, the Braves were facing a dilemma. Who would get
knocked out of the rotation when Beachy returned? That’s not the problem
now. Mike Minor (2.98 ERA) and Julio Teheran (3.25 ERA) are locked in,
but Kris Medlen and Paul Maholm have struggled, and Maholm just landed
on the disabled list with a wrist injury. Rookie lefty Alex Wood has
taken his place; he started Tuesday afternoon’s game against the Mets.
Because the Hudson injury happened before the July 31 non-waiver
trade deadline, the Braves could explore the possibility of bringing in
outside rotation help. The problem is, with Matt Garza already off the
market (the Rangers snapped him up), there aren’t any great options out
there. Cliff Lee is the pipe dream, but the Phillies probably aren’t
going to trade him, and they definitely aren’t going to move him to a
division rival.
So what else? Jake Peavy is the next name on the list. If healthy,
he brings Hudson-esque veteran guile and intangibles, but he’s had all
kinds of trouble staying healthy the past few years. He won’t come
cheap—he’s under contract for $14.5 million next season—because the
White Sox don’t have to trade him. Kansas City’s Ervin Santana and
Houston’s Bud Norris are other starters rumored to be available.
But where would those three fit in the Atlanta rotation? Behind
Minor and Teheran, and likely behind Medlin, if he straightens out his
recent struggles. Maybe Beachy, too, if he shows he’s healthy and at
least a shadow of his former self. So, essentially, if the Braves were
to pick up one of those three, they’d be adding a fourth/fifth starter
who may or may not actually make the postseason roster.
And it’s not like they need a fourth/fifth starter to make the
playoffs. Remember their giant lead in the East and the very flawed
teams chasing them? Seems like a high cost for what might not be that
great of a return.
Let’s look at three other injured players and how their absence impacts their team:
Matt Kemp, Dodgers
The Dodgers, as their active roster is currently constructed, are
good enough to win the NL West. If Kemp can get healthy—and stay
healthy—the Dodgers are probably good enough to win the World Series.
The hamstring and ankle issues make that far from a certainty, though.
Clay Buchholz, Red Sox
In his dozen starts this season, Buchholz has been spectacular—1.71
ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 6.1 H/9. The problem is, he’s only made a dozen starts
this season because of a sore right shoulder (inflammation of the bursa
sac). His return date is up in the air—way up in the air—and has forced
the Red Sox to consider other options.
Jason Grilli, Pirates
Grilli, a former journeyman reliever, has been brilliant as the
Pirates’ closer this season. He’s striking out 14.0 batters per nine
innings and is 30-for-31 in save opportunities. But he landed on the
disabled list earlier this week with what’s being called a “forearm
strain” after leaving the game against the Nationals on Monday. Mark
Melancon, the Bucs’ outstanding setup man, is the temporary closer, but
if the Pirates are going to make the playoffs, they need Grilli healthy
and handling the ninth-inning duties
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