Pro Notebook 8/15
By Brad Rowland
Jul 10, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Tyler Pastornicky (1) looks on the dugout during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Greetings! Happy Thursday, everyone.
Braves
In the midst of a strong win on Wednesday night, the Braves have yet another injury issue. Tyler Pastornicky collided with Jason Heyward in right field, and subsequently left the game with a sprained knee. He is scheduled to be evaluated on Thursday (according to both the AJC and MLB.com), but a sprained knee could easily lead to a DL stint.
Normally, a trip to the DL for Tyler Pastornicky wouldn’t be damning, but with Uggla on the shelf already, the Braves are short-handed. Paul Janish will undoubtedly be in the lineup on Friday, but if Pastornicky needs to hit the DL, look for the Braves to call up Tommy La Stella for his first MLB action. Stay tuned.
Falcons
The Falcons take the field for their 2nd preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens tonight (7:30 pm ET). It will be the first “road trip” for the team in the preseason, and that is always interesting, especially on the back of a blowout loss.
All reports are that Julio Jones will be in the lineup, so we’ll get our first look at him. The overriding story of each preseason game is seeing a bit more of the starters, and this should be a better barometer than the opening game. My focus? The right tackle position, as Lamar Holmes and Ryan Schraeder battle to take the place of the injured Mike Johnson. The offensive line is going to be an issue this year, but let’s hope it isn’t a glaring one.
Hawks
It’s a quiet time for the Hawks, but in the midst of the silence, here’s an interesting take on the Hawks’ off-season from Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver. I agree very much with the majority of the piece, and he seems to be all-in on the Millsap move while tempering expectations a bit. Quality read.
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