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Go Phils!

The Savannah Morning news ran a story this morning with the headline, “Opportunity knocks on Braves door for next ten days.” That’s because, beginning today, the Braves play ten games in a row against teams with losing records.

The Braves kick off their run against the Cubs. Actually, they’re playing right now. And it’s a real dog fight (sans Michael Vick).

The AJC ran a story suggesting that the Braves should be looking forward to the Cubs series, since the Cubs are going through some tough times now. But the truth is, the Cubs should be glad to be playing the Braves this weekend. John Smoltz is going to miss his next start with a finger injury and Chipper Jones just went on the DL with hurt hands. For those of you keeping score at home, that means the Bravos will be without their best starter, best hitter and best reliever, since Mike Gonzalez is out for the year following elbow surgery.

These are tough times, indeed, for Atlanta. And unfortunately, there is no help on the way. This morning, AJC columnist Mark Bradley reports that Braves president Terry McGuirk says the team’s new owners, Liberty Media, don’t plan to open their wallets to pay for any expensive players the team might acquire in a trade.

The best line from Bradley’s column was this:

Besides, [McGuirk] sees nothing unduly ominous about the doings of May:“If not for two injuries [Mike Hampton and Lance Cormier], we’d probably be in first place by a couple of games.”

Really, Terry? First of all, Lance Cormier is hardly the second coming of Greg Maddux. So if you’re telling me he’s the difference between winning and losing 7 games, then you’re on crack. And as for Hampton, did anybody really seriously expect that he was going to pitch? I mean, I know folks around Atlanta were hopeful, but I don’t think anybody was putting any money on it.

I’m sorry, but if the Braves fall out of contention and try to blame it on Hampton and Cormier, that’s sad. Blame it on Andruw! He’s been a complete turd.

The Phillies have lost the top two members of what was already a paper thin bullpen, plus Ryan Howard missed two weeks with what was vaguely called a quad injury. The Mets have been without El Duque and Moises Alou. These things happen. Cry me a river, McGuirk.

If you’re like me, you might have heard the news that Braves’ SP Mike Hampton was going to miss all of this season with an elbow injury after missing all last season with an elbow injury, and thought, he might just want to call it a career.

But Hampton is no quitter. He plans to keep on playing. Or, failing that, to keep on getting paid millions of dollars to rehabilitate his arm. From the AJC:

Lest there be any question of his comeback intentions, veteran Mike Hampton has let it be known through Braves medical staff that he intends to pitch in 2008.

“Oh, [heck] yeah,” Cox said. “He wants to pitch winter ball. He’s planning on it.”

The left-hander will be out all season after surgery Tuesday to repair a torn flexor tendon in his pitching elbow. Ligament-transplant elbow surgery kept him out for the entire 2006 season.

There’ s really no mystery behind why Hampton doesn’t want to retire. He’s due to make $15 million in 2008, the last year of the eight-year, $121 million contract he signed with Colorado. Fortunately for the Braves Rockies, insurance will pay some of Hampton’s $14.5 million 2007 salary, though we don’t know how much.

I mean, let’s be honest: if there’s $15 million sitting on the table, and all you have to do is try to pitch, you’re going to try to pitch.

Chipper Jones, who is attempting to play in more than 110 games for the first time since 2004, strained his oblique muscle on Friday while taking BP.

It’s unclear how much time Jones will miss, but manager Bobby Cox isn’t going to rush him. From the AJC:

“I want to make sure it doesn’t hurt,” Cox said. “If I have to, I’ll wait the rest of Spring [Training].”

Jones may want to talk to Braves pitcher Mike Hampton about the best way to recover from a strained oblique. Hampton, who is attempting to return to the Braves’ rotation after sitting out last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, experienced a setback when he strained his oblique muscle March 7. But Hampton surprised Cox and spring training spectators by throwing in the outfield yesterday — nearly three weeks ahead of schedule.

Cox was surprised, to say the least.

“I was amazed, totally shocked,” said Braves manager Bobby Cox, who didn’t know until Saturday that Hampton was feeling so good he wanted to test his side by throwing.

What made Hampton decide he was ready to start throwing again so early?

By the middle of last week, he noticed no pain while working out on an elliptical machine. He got off the machine and slowly went through his pitching delivery without a baseball. No pain.

“Then I picked up a weighted ball and did it again, and I didn’t feel anything,” he said. “I thought, ‘Dude, I might be able to throw.’ “

So should Chipper get on the Hampton rehab program? Maybe not. Hampton attributes his quick recovery to luck, more than hard work or any medical breakthroughs. Hampton said it was better that he pulled his left side than his right. He throws left-handed but bats right-handed, and righty hitters typically pull the left oblique when they get hurt swinging.

If Hampton stays out of the batting cages for a while, he should be okay. And even though Hampton is arguably the best hitting pitcher in the league, the Braves will be happy to send him up to the plate to bunt as long as he’s able to take the mound.

Chipper, unfortunately, can’t pitch. So he’s going to need to sit out until he’s able to swing without pain.

If you’re getting the feeling that the Braves’ season is going to include a lot of injury updates, you’re not the only one.