ATL Daily Notebook 8/1: Mike Muscala Signs To Play In Spain, College Football Is Here, Braves Injury Updates
B.J. Upton could be set to return to the Braves as soon as Saturday. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Updated–12:37
Welcome to the first edition of the newest feature on ATL All Day, the Daily Notebook. This is going to be similar to what we used to do in our ATL AM posts except they aren’t just going to be link dumps. We are going to go through each of the teams that we heavily cover and give you what you need to know about them each day. What’s going on with their season/off season, what kind of rumors are floating around with them, player updates, injury updates, on and off the field news, everything you need to know about the team on a daily basis in a quick read.
Hopefully this turns into a successful feature and you guys and gals can get something out of it every morning/afternoon.
Braves
The Braves are on an absolute tear right now. Aside from the Kansas City Royals the Braves have the longest winning streak in the big leagues (6 games) after sweeping the Cardinals and winning three in a row against the Rockies. The offense has been fantastic since the All-Star break and to top it all off, the team is currently ahead of the Washington Nationals by 11 games. That’s easily the biggest difference between the one and two teams of any division.
Update—Check out Eric’s full post on the injury updates of the team
As far as injuries go, Paul Maholm is looking to be back in the rotation on August 10 and is going to try and throw some side sessions this weekend. BJ Upton played a rehab game last night and could be ready to go as early as Saturday and Jordan Schafer is looking to begin his rehab session on Saturday. If everything goes well with Jordan, he could be joining the club at some point next week. Reed Johnson’s injury is more of a longer deal and will be out at least two weeks.
Falcons
There hasn’t been a lot of real news out of Falcons camp since we learned that they were going to be starting padded practices on Sunday. Since then it’s been a lot of filler pieces about the focus of the team, how Julio Jones is just trying to stay healthy, and professional wrestling.
What now? Professional wrestling? Yep.
Apparently Quinn Ojinnaka has begun a wrestling career that he has been thinking about since he was in college. Colin Cowherd would be proud. If you’re really interested in this, the Falcons even posted a video of one of “Moose’s” matches. I couldn’t get through 30 seconds of it.
Hawks
The Hawks have been much more interesting as far as real news goes, with the team coming out with their preseason home schedule just yesterday and even more “important” news coming today.
Update–Check out our official reaction piece to the Mike Muscala signing
According to Peach Tree Hoops, the Hawks second round draft pick Mike Muscala has signed to play next season in Spain. We will have our reaction post to this up soon but for now, here’s what Kris Willis had to say about the signing:
"Atlanta’s frontcourt has gotten crowded recently with the recent additions of Elton Brand, Pero Antic and Gustavo Ayon. There didn’t appear to be many minutes available for Muscala this season but the Hawks will retain his draft rights."
College
College football is officially back. Here’s the low-down on the Atlanta-ish teams we cover for everyone (UGA, GT, GSU):
The Georgia Bulldogs football season is officially starting and the team will take the field for the first time and Coach Richt will be holding another press conference. We haven’t had any shortage of those with the recent media days have we? If you want to see another, georgiadawgs.com will have it archived for you to watch at your leisure.
Likewise, the Georgia Tech football team is going to be in action this afternoon. Their practice will be closed today but the team is having a Fan Day this Saturday at Historic Grant Field from 4-5:30 for anyone in the area. Here’s a bit on the Jackets from ramblinwreck.com:
"“I like this team,” head coach Paul Johnson said. “I think they’ve worked hard in the offseason and we’re excited to get camp started. I think we have potential to do some good things.”The Yellow Jackets overcame a 2-4 start to finish 7-7 overall and 5-3 in the ACC last season. Tech defeated USC, the preseason No. 1-ranked team, 21-7 in the Hyundai Sun Bowl. The win over the Trojans, combined with the addition of new defensive coordinator Ted Roof and many pieces of Tech’s high-octane offense returning, has created an optimistic atmosphere on the Flats.The 2013 version of the Yellow Jackets will be an experienced bunch. Eighteen seniors are on the roster, including 11 who started last season. Georgia Tech’s returning players have a combined 361 career starts. The Jackets have their most depth on the offensive line, at the B-back position and in the defensive secondary since 2009."
Since Georgia State University is a bit further down the totem pole in the NCAA’s eyes, they will be starting their practices on Saturday. Players will report to camp tomorrow. Per georgiastatesports.com:
"The Georgia State football team officially begins its preparations for the 2013 season as head coach Trent Miles’ first GSU squad reports to campus Friday and then begins preseason drills Saturday evening with a 6 p.m. workout at the GSU Practice Complex.Friday’s reporting day for 105 Panthers is exactly four weeks prior to Georgia State’s Aug. 30 season opener against Samford at 7 p.m. at the Georgia Dome. The Georgia State program is playing its first season in the Sun Belt Conference and the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2013.Per NCAA guidelines, camp begins with a five-day acclimatization period of one practice per day. The first two days are non-contact sessions in shorts and helmets."