Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets – Box Score – August 21, 2013 – ESPN
I hate the Mets.
I had sort of forgotten, or at least neglected, this fact over the past few years, as they’ve been such a harmless laughingstock for so long now that it’s been hard to get worked up about much of anything with them — but all of those old feelings came rushing back, today, when Jonathon Niese threw a fastball off of Jason Heyward’s face, fracturing his jaw and essentially taking away the rest of the regular season from one of the hottest hitters in baseball and the Braves’ best player. I hate the Mets.
The Braves won the game, thanks to another really good effort from Alex Wood and a tenth-inning homer by Chris Johnson, but gah, I’m too blinded by rage to be excited about either of those things or continue typing words.
Jason will be back in time for the playoff, but we will see how effective he will be when he is back. At least he will be well rested.
I am devastated. This is the second time we’ve lost a player for the season because of the Mets.
Devastated? Bit dramatic, no?
Might be a good thing. As long as there are no mental or physical complications from the surgery and he’s able to recover in time (some big “ifs”), then this might be great rest for Mr. Glass. He could very well come back as physically healthy as a man of his “durability” could be at the end of a long season. No achy knees, elbows, heavy legs, etc.
Or something could go wrong with the surgery of he might not heal as quickly as expected.
Sucks for Jason. It’s been a rough year, and just as things are clicking for him and he gets on a roll…this happens. Glad to hear he can hopefully make it back for the post season. He deserves to be there with the rest of the guys.
This stinks for Heyward, and it stinks for the Braves. It’s been a tough year injury-wise for the team. What’s this, essentially the seventh guy we’ve lost for the season? It’s amazing we’ve had as much success as we have, and that our lead is as big as it is.
I can’t believe Jason’s not going to make every effort possible to get back to the game as soon as possible. It’s been a long season and we’re knocking on the door of the playoffs, and his last couple months of play are a decisive reason that is so.
He’ll be back for the playoffs. What us worry
Heyward’s jaw is broken. Outside of rarely and unlikely complications from the surgery to repair (infection, etc) the primary problem for him will be maintaining any sort of weight or conditioning. Most jaw surgeries require wiring the jaw shut for at least a few weeks to let it set and heal. That means all liquid diets through a feeding straw. That’s not how a man maintains muscle and strength.
As far as replacement for the rest of the season, I guess BJ is back every day? Between Success, Terdo and Gattis, at least we have a good mix of OFers to keep our “best record” dreams in play, I think.
@7
This is what I’m saying. We should obviously wait until the surgery’s finished so we have a more definitive timetable, but if that timetable still has him getting back by the playoffs, he’ll be back by the playoffs. This isn’t the middle of the season with its, “Eh, still not feeling super great, I’ll give it another week.” There’s no choice but to be back for the playoffs. He may be wearing a face mask, but he’ll be back for the playoffs.
We play those bums 3 more times this year. Can we just default?
If he can make is back in 4 weeks, he will have time to prepare for the postseason. Honestly, we can not blame him for being fragile for this injury!
He’s having jaw surgery and it will probably be wired shut for a few weeks. He’ll be drinking his diet during that time. Coming back in 4 weeks would be a minor miracle to me. I think it’s more realistic to assume he’s done for the year.
Sidney Crosby was back in four weeks from a broken jaw earlier this year. If he can make it back in four weeks to play hockey, Jason can make it back to play baseball. They also may not need to wire it shut. That could be what the surgery’s about, putting a plate there so they don’t have to wire it.
If its 4 weeks, we could be okay. I’m not as hopeful for a long run as I was earlier today.
@ESPNStatsInfo: Jason Heyward out 4-6 weeks with broken jaw.
Heyward has 64 Defensive Runs Saved in RF since 2010. No one else even has 40 in that span
When it comes down to it, I refuse to mope over something that may or may not happen. If we lose in the playoffs, I’ll mope. Until then, we have the division locked up, and if we go by their timetable, he’ll be back in time for the playoffs. I can’t sit here for the next six weeks fretting about whether their timetable is accurate. And even if it’s not, it’s not like they’re gonna kick us out of the playoffs because Heyward isn’t there. We’ll still have the same chance as everyone else.
Jason will have access to all the best sources of nutrition that his condition will allow him to ingest. You can get plenty of protein, fats, and carbs through a straw. Presuming no physical complications and that he can work out as needed, I’d be more concerned about the mental part of it.
Screw the Mets and their accidents.
No matter the circumstances, intense Mets hatred is an appropriate reaction.
Let’s not be naive about Heyward being able to stay in shape through a liquid diet. The training staff will have him on a diet that will give him the nutrients he needs through liquid. Shoot, he may very well have the right amounts of carbs, protein, and fat because he’s on a liquid diet monitored heavily by Porter and Co. If anything, they’ll just put him on a bunch of mass gainers if he isn’t responding.
My only concern is his mental start as he returns. Athletes that have head injuries sometimes come back a little less confident than they were before. If I remember correctly, Johnny Estrada struggled to regain his form post-concussion, though I don’t know if that was more physical or mental.
Once again, though, I do think this is a blessing in disguise for him. As long as, post surgery, he’s able to stay in game shape, they may be the forced rest a fragile guy like him needs.
Label me an optimist…
Can’t they fit him for one of those jaw guards Terrance Long used to wear?
You do worry about how he’ll react getting back in the box. But while the injury turned out to be significant, it didn’t appear to be traumatic for him. He seemed to handle it well, so hopefully can dodge the potential mental issues.
Now’s the time to test the waters and see what we have in BJ, Gattis, Joey T, and Schafer for the rest of the year. Give each guy the chance to succeed and see which ones stick.
Joey’s numbers in the Majors have been a reflection of his numbers in the Minors. He’s a really good LH hitter and a poor RH hitter. He should be seeing time against RHP.
Jordan Schafer has 2 hits the entire year against LHP, but hits RHP well (.800 OPS).
BJ has been shit against both so picking his starts is purely random but should, at the least, be coming against LHP.
Gattis has had slightly more success against LHP.
If I were managing, our outfield would be Terds, Schafer, and Jupton against RHP, and Gattis, BJ, and Jupton against LHP, with Gattis still receiving spot starts at C.
On a side note, is anybody as blah as I am about adding Elliot Johnson to take Gosselin’s place?
@jonmorosi: Jason Heyward is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a broken jaw, his agent, Victor Menocal, told @FOXSports1.
@26 He might just take Hayward’s place. We don’t really need to call up another outfielder, do we?
What’s the latest with Reed Johnson?
@26
No reason the Braves would have 3 glove first 2-baggers on the Major League roster. He’ll surely take Gosselin’s place.
I’m sure we will DL Heyward and call up Cunningham. Swapping Gosselin and Elliot Johnson doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t excite me either.
What were the Rangers thinking when they signed Elvis Andrus to a contract through 2023? Yikes!
My thought: Elliot Johnson gives us the flexibility to send Gosselin back down, DFA Janish, and call up La Stella. Don’t know if it’ll happen, but we sure could benefit from the offense.
Uggla will be back in 7 days. If we had a one game lead in the division you might see LaStella. Braves aren’t going to start his clock for one week of play.
Edit: unless of course they think he can play In a utility role in September. Don’t see Janish getting DFA’d
Ryan, what was that perfect nickname for TLS again? so good i’ve forgotten it!
we must call him up, no question now.
@35
Don’t think I came up with it, so…not sure.
So, am I right in assuming that La Stella could be called up in September and his arb-clock not start?
can’t answer call up situation, will find out that nick though.
Where we’re at right now I don’t think you mess around worrying about arb clocks etc with an unproven young player…we need him available to us on a daily basis, we are perfectly capably this year of winning it all…and we’ll likely get a pretty good idea of his ML moxy.
@36 – it actually does count as ML service time. But if you think a player can contribute, and you have a chance to win a World Series this year, the time to bring him up is now, regardless.
STREETCAR!
that was it, someone here a couple of weeks ago- perfect.
Let’s get him up.
La Stella is old enough to where starting his clock doesn’t matter. But really it comes down to Uggla and BJ actually producing something. Spotlight on Wren and our two biggest FA contracts.
If I am Fredi, I will run BJ out there every day from now on. I would also tell him that he will have these last six weeks to prove to me that he deserves to play in the playoff.
I just can’t think of a joke that connects to the fact that we have the most Johnsons in the league…
In all fairness, Uggla was traded for then signed to an extension.
Went to Yanks/Jays in The Bronx tonight. Caught a pretty entertaining game: Ichiro’s 4,000th hit, a dramatic HR by Soriano, Rivera locking things down, no sign of A-Rod, little mention of the soap opera, and an energized crowd. A nice night of baseball.
But all I could think of was how bummed I was about Heyward. I’m not an alarmist, but I certainly realize that these beanings don’t always work out so well for the recipients. It seems as if Heyward’s injury is different from those of guys like Tony Conigliaro & Dickie Thon (jaw, as opposed to orbital bone), but it’s still tough not to wonder how well he’ll come back.
Fingers very much crossed.
Otis Nixon suspended, Kent Herbk pulling Gant off base, Lonnie Smith, Wholers ephis pitch, Eric Gregg’s strike zone, Smoltz’s TJ, Chipper and Prado getting hurt, Infield fly rule, Jason Heyward’s jaw.
Tell me we’re not snake bit.
Doomed!!!!
Maholm might take Heyward’s roster spot. I have no idea which pitcher they could send down.
I feel so sad.
@41
If he’s not producing, I don’t think there’s any reason why Fredi should feel obligated to run BJ out there daily. It’s mid-August and the Braves are going to have to play these next 40 games with the mindset that Heyward might not be ready for the playoffs. Let all of them scrap it out and may the best 3 win. Give BJ the everyday chance to prove himself next year.
If Schafer can just get on base…
I think it’s naive to think that Jason didn’t also suffer a concussion on that play, FWIW.
@51
It may be, but that would only keep him out a short period of time.
I hope they do the surgery today and find it isn’t as bad and he is only our four weeks.
I would think this is an injury that you could come back from quicker (unlike a knee or ankle)Plus, he will probably be able to do contitioning work on the side.
I know he has never shown the ability to heal quickly, but maybe this time…
#51 – I won’t disagree. I sure hope not, but I just hope he can recover and make it back at least a week before the playoffs.
I do hope that with Heyward now gone from the leadoff spot, that Fredi doesn’t fill it with Andrelton. I suppose we’d see him up there against lefties, maybe, but I’m assuming Success will get a majority of starts against righties and either he or BJ will be in the leadoff slot.
I was surprised to see that Andrelton’s overall numbers since being taken out of the leadoff spot aren’t as pronounced as I thought. Since July 27, he’s increased his BA by 6 points, his OBP by 15 points, and his SLG by 6 points. (He hasn’t hit a home run in those 23 games, either, fwiw.) Not as dramatic, but still a slight improvement, especially since he’s modestly increased his walk rate.
Andrelton back in the leadspot, yuck. Probably will see Success there most of the time.
I would go with:
Success
J Up
Freeman
McCann
CJ
BJ
Simmons
2B of the week
I’d move BJ to 8th when Uggla is back.
49: No, that’s backwards. We know with a very high degree of confidence that B.J. Upton is a better player than Jordan Schafer. With no particular pressure on us to play well right now, B.J. needs to be given every chance to work himself out of whatever is ailing him through reps against major-league pitching. A B.J. Upton who is “right” for the playoffs is really important.
It can not be stated enough, but BJ Upton is far, far, far more likely to produce offensively going forward than is Jordan Schafer. Success! has a month and a half of sustained success at the Major League level, and that was almost exclusively as a platoon player. He is the walking, talking definition of “sell high.” If he maintains any value going into the winter you call Kansas City and see what you can steal from them.
@58
True, but I would right now I’d rather Success be up there than BJ.
They will both be playing a lot I think.
It is also a good time for Gattis to get some ABs to try and work out of his funk.
Success posted .800+ OPS in each of April, May and June. Before he fouled that ball off his ankle, he had been a highly productive platoon player and pinch hitter. Pretty much wherever we used him, he succeeded. (Greatest nickname in modern baseball, I say.)
In contrast, BJ has been thoroughly terrible all year at the plate. He’s not at any time had a BA over .199, nor an OBP over .283, nor an OPS over .602. Despite being right-handed, he’s been atrocious against lefties, so there’s not even a platoon advantage we’ve been able to extract.
He came out of the gate strong after his recent knee contusion, but that evaporated after only five games. Since then he is 0-for-24 with only 1 walk and 12 strikeouts. Fredi thought enough of the situation surrounding his terminal lack of production to essentially bench him, and I see no reason why BJ should be the favored guy to replace Heyward in the starting lineup.
Success needs game time to play himself back into shape after an injury.
BJ needs game time to play himself out of being one of the worst baseball players this year has seen.
Both should get playing time but it should be a platoon. We still want to get HFA and Success against righties is better than anything BJ has proven to provide.
@57&58
I disagree, especially if there’s chance that Heyward cannot make it back at full strength for the playoffs. For this season, may the best men win, with the common denominator being Jupton.
Cards start a left hander today. BJ, Joey T. and JUpton?
@62
Joey T shouldn’t see regular time as a RH hitter as he’s never been very successful from the right side of the plate. I’d go with Jupton, BJ, and Gattis.
Think you only see Terds start if Jupton is still sitting.
@62, If Gattis isn’t catching, he ought to be in LF.
I agree with Ryan C: Gattis, Justin, BJ.
When will Reed Johnson be back?
New thread.