Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: Looking for Leadership

The injury was played over and over on TBS Tuesday, and with each replay I saw, there was something different to see. It was a great job by the production crew on the Braves telecast to show so many angles on a play that could put such a damper on the team’s hopes. Chipper Jones dove to his left for a grounder and jammed his shoulder hard into the ground. My immediate thought–and that of another medhead in attendance at the game–was that Jones had separated his shoulder. Reports from the Braves have called this a posterior rotator cuff strain, but watch for further imaging to check for internal damage, including an AC separation, labrum and capsular injuries. The Braves have been very conservative with the DL, allowing their players every opportunity to return without hitting the list. Jones’ pain and range of motion will determine his return date, but this could be a situation very similar to Scott Rolen’s.

I’ll note that there has been a lot of talk this year of Rolen exchanging positions with Albert Pujols. Don’t trip on the mound on your way across the diamond, Chipper.