John Smoltz is now officially going on the disabled list, and it got me thinking a little bit. Sure, the word coming from the Braves is that Smoltz won’t miss a start…but is there more to it than that? Smoltz developed his own Spring Training regiment this year, pitching the majority of the time on the back fields and in side sessions. This, coming off of a year in which, the shoulder injury that is nagging him presently, had put him on the disabled list for about a month, and bothered him seemingly all season.
Connecting the dots a bit, the consummate pessimist in me is worried. Make no mistake, this is a BIG deal for the 2008 Braves. And, those of you that aren’t concerned, should be. Smoltz is a fighter. He takes the ball every fifth day, and battles through everything. If it is enough of an injury to put him on the DL, it says a lot. Will he be fine in 15 days and return to the form that we have seen time and time again? It’s possible. Maybe even probable. However, the pattern of nagging injuries to the aging ace of the Braves staff is awfully concerning. What say you SportsPage Atlanta readers?
photo credit: sluggerwv
Barrett Sallee has worked professionally in the Atlanta sports market in various aspects for over 7 years. He can be reached at barrettsallee@hotmail.com
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