The Atlanta Braves pitching staff have have already suffered two major blows and spring training hasn't even started yet.
Starting pitchers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy both might possibly have to face the fact that they'll have to undergo Tommy John Surgery.
It would be the second time Medlen has had the surgery performed on him.
"The news is obviously very tough, but I knew when I walked off the mound mid-inning (on March 9) what I had felt," Medlen said in a text message Monday afternoon, afraid he might get emotional in a phone call. "The love and support I've felt from my family, teammates - they go hand in hand - the Braves organization, and Braves fans everywhere really means the world to me and will definitely help me through all this."
Both are set to get their second opinion from Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday.
"It wasn't what I would have liked it to have been," Beachy said Friday of his initial test results, according to MLB.com. "I was pretty confident when I left the game on Monday. That was based on what I was told. I was being honest. Now it looks like it might be something else. It's frustrating, very frustrating."
The last time Medlen underwent Tommy John surgery he played half of the season and performed at a MVP level, but of course Medlen is going to go straight to the surgery. He wants to make sure he chooses the option that's best for him and that's best for the team.
"I think it's natural for guys to want to exhaust every possibility before they ultimately make that decision that 'I'm going to have surgery,'" Wren said. "Sometimes these decisions aren't black and white. There’s enough gray that they want just another set of eyes and another impression on what’s being seen."
Since the second opinion isn't until later today, Medlen and Beachy don't know exactly how badly they are hurt.
"They know they're injured. It's just a matter of finding out how badly they're injured," Braves president John Schuerholz said. "We're not counting on either of them. I mean, we hope that's not right, but that's the way we're planning."
After the injury that Medlen substained and having the possibility of facing Tommy John surgery again, he says that fellow Braves players, fans, and even players and fans of other organization showed a tremendous amount of support for him.
"The part that blew me away this past week were the comments and outreach that I received from other organizations, opponents, and the fans of baseball around the league," Medlen said. "The same fans that curse at me while warming up in the opposing stadiums reached out and let me know that they appreciate the way I play the game and that is just an unbelievable feeling."
Starting pitchers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy both might possibly have to face the fact that they'll have to undergo Tommy John Surgery.
It would be the second time Medlen has had the surgery performed on him.
"The news is obviously very tough, but I knew when I walked off the mound mid-inning (on March 9) what I had felt," Medlen said in a text message Monday afternoon, afraid he might get emotional in a phone call. "The love and support I've felt from my family, teammates - they go hand in hand - the Braves organization, and Braves fans everywhere really means the world to me and will definitely help me through all this."
Both are set to get their second opinion from Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday.
"It wasn't what I would have liked it to have been," Beachy said Friday of his initial test results, according to MLB.com. "I was pretty confident when I left the game on Monday. That was based on what I was told. I was being honest. Now it looks like it might be something else. It's frustrating, very frustrating."
The last time Medlen underwent Tommy John surgery he played half of the season and performed at a MVP level, but of course Medlen is going to go straight to the surgery. He wants to make sure he chooses the option that's best for him and that's best for the team.
"I think it's natural for guys to want to exhaust every possibility before they ultimately make that decision that 'I'm going to have surgery,'" Wren said. "Sometimes these decisions aren't black and white. There’s enough gray that they want just another set of eyes and another impression on what’s being seen."
Since the second opinion isn't until later today, Medlen and Beachy don't know exactly how badly they are hurt.
"They know they're injured. It's just a matter of finding out how badly they're injured," Braves president John Schuerholz said. "We're not counting on either of them. I mean, we hope that's not right, but that's the way we're planning."
After the injury that Medlen substained and having the possibility of facing Tommy John surgery again, he says that fellow Braves players, fans, and even players and fans of other organization showed a tremendous amount of support for him.
"The part that blew me away this past week were the comments and outreach that I received from other organizations, opponents, and the fans of baseball around the league," Medlen said. "The same fans that curse at me while warming up in the opposing stadiums reached out and let me know that they appreciate the way I play the game and that is just an unbelievable feeling."