The Atlanta Braves have emerged as the Philadelphia Phillies' main challenge in the NL East, and on Friday, the Braves are scheduled to kick off a weekend series against the Texas Rangers. The series will not begin with Tommy Hanson taking the mound, though, because it turns out that Hanson's shoulder is barking:
Tommy Hanson Injury: Braves Starter Scratched With Shoulder Tendinitis
Tommy Hanson will miss his start tomorrow with right shoulder tendinitis. He will be further evaluated over the next few days.
There’s no word yet on the severity of Hanson’s problem, and it’s worth noting that he’s never fought shoulder issues before. But his velocity is down a tick from where it was a year ago, and whenever a talented pitcher’s shoulder acts up, there’s reason for concern.
On the year, Hanson owns a 2.48 ERA and 3.0 K/BB over 14 starts. Further evaluation will determine whether or not he needs a stint on the disabled list.
In Hanson's place on Friday, the Braves will hand the ball to Randall Delgado. So at least there's some upside here, since Delgado is one of baseball's best pitching prospects. Ranked the #35 overall prospect by Baseball America before the year, the 21-year-old righty has a 3.54 ERA with double-A Mississippi, with 64 strikeouts in 73-2/3 innings. The Rangers will be a hell of a challenge, but Delgado's is a talented arm.
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