Right-hander Jair Jurrjens was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right knee, removing his 12-4 record and 2.63 earned run average from the rotation. It's the same knee Jurrjens had surgery on last October.
Unlike some clubs, such as the Yankees, who have some dispute as to who their true No. 2 pitcher is, the Braves basically reacted with a shrug and promoted Mike Minor, a highly regarded left-hander from Triple-A.
Minor, 23, started in Jurrjens' place Sunday against the Mets.
Why the lack of concern from the Braves, who stand 9 1/2 games back of the Phillies in the NL East? For one, the Braves aren't even thinking about the division title; they hold a 3 1/2 game lead on Arizona in the wild card race.
The biggest reason, though, is that their rotation is too deep to worry about the loss of one starter for a couple of weeks. Jurrjens has the lowest ERA on the staff, but Tim Hudson and Brandon Beachy have lower WHIPs, while Tommy Hanson averages fewer hits and more strikeouts per nine innings.
Once the starters leave, the Braves still — despite the high-profile trade deadline deals made by the Rangers — have the best bullpen in baseball.
Yet as deep as Atlanta's rotation is — and there are at least two more arms down at Triple-A Gwinnett that scouts think could turn into long-term major league starters — the uncertain condition of Hanson's shoulder might be reason to worry if combined with Jurrjens' trip to the DL.
Hanson will not skip his next start, the Braves announced Sunday, although that status could change depending on Hanson's level of discomfort. Any further limitations to the rotation would be cause for concern, since the Braves' success relies heavily on their pitching: Highlighting how anemic their offense is, the Braves' four through six hitters in Sunday's lineup had batting averages of .220, .220 and .234.
Pitching is the common thread among Atlanta, Philadelphia and San Francisco, but at least the Phillies have Ryan Howard and Chase Utley and the Giants have Pablo Sandoval and Carlos Beltran. The Braves' regular lineup includes just three players batting above .260 and no one slugging above .515.
The Braves need their pitchers healthy. It's all they've got.
