SB Nation Atlanta - Jair Jurrjens Returning To Braves Rotation Against Red Sox On Friday

Jair Jurrjens To Start In Place Of Brandon Beachy On Friday In Boston

2012-06-17T16:13:03Z

Brandon Beachy's injury has provided at least one more opportunity for Jair Jurrjens. Atlanta will call up Jurrjens on Thursday and he will start in place of Beachy Friday night at Fenway Park when the Braves open a three-game set with the Boston Red Sox.

#Braves are going to start Jurrjens on Friday in Boston in place of Beachy. Will join club on Thursday. Probably throw 2-3 IP for GWI before
— David O'Brien (@ajcbraves) June 17, 2012

Atlanta placed Beachy on the disabled list on Sunday and called up Todd Redmond to provide some depth in the bullpen in the meantime. It appears that Kris Medlen will remain in the bullpen despite being sent down to Gwinnett for two weeks to be stretched out as a starter.

Jurrjens hasn't exactly dominated at the Triple-A level and has been anything but consistent. In nine appearances with Gwinnett Jurrjens is 3-4 with a 5.27 ERA. He was 0-2 with a 9.37 ERA in four starts for the Braves before his demotion.

Jurrjens also gets the nod ahead of top prospect Julio Teheran who made a spot start in place of Tim Hudson for the Braves last week.

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Jair Jurrjens' Comments On Atlanta Braves Come Off As Silly

2012-06-02T21:08:10Z

Following yet another poor start in the Minor Leagues on Friday night, Jair Jurrjens let it be known that he felt unwanted by the Atlanta Braves. Jurrjens has spent the last few weeks in Triple-A Gwinnett after being pounded by Major League hitters, and has continued to struggle for the most part against weaker competition.

Never mind the fact that he had just given up 10 runs on 12 hits and two walks -- Jurrjens also said he was sick during the game, but that's a different story -- but he did not strike out a single batter in his 4.2 innings of work. He continues to struggle with command of his fastball, and most reports indicate his velocity is only slightly higher than what is was with Atlanta to begin the year.

But for a guy who hasn't done much of anything since the 2011 All-Star Break, these comments sure do seem silly.

Jurrjens had a great first half of 2011, even if it was a bit lucky. However, after making an appearance in the All-Star Game he completely fell off, often struggling to get out of the fifth or sixth inning.

And in his four starts of 2012 Jurrjens walked more batters than he struck out. His ERA 9.37 put him amongst the worst in the game.

Yes, he had some solid seasons with the Braves in the past, but what has Jurrjens done in the last year that should make him feel like he has any right to hold a spot in Atlanta's starting rotation? It would be one thing if his ERA in the minors was low, but it's 5.56. That's bad for anyone, let alone a guy who thinks he deserves a spot with the Braves.

Jurrjens simply needs pitch better if he hopes to regain his spot in Atlanta. Moping and making bitter comments to reporters after giving up 10 runs isn't going to do him any favors with the organization. He's already being paid upwards of $5 million this season; the Braves have absolutely no reason to hope he doesn't turn it around.

For more on the Braves, check out Talking Chop.

Fredi Gonzalez Responds To Jair Jurrjens' Comments

2012-06-02T20:34:36Z

Before Saturday's game Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez talked about the comments made by demoted pitcher Jair Jurrjens and had a pretty simple message for the right hander. Jurrjens was upset by the move the Braves made to send Kris Medlen to the minors to start working on stamina in preparation for a starters role.

Gonzalez indicated that the move with Medlen had nothing to do with Jurrjens and that the two were separate issues.

"He's a big part of this organization," Gonzalez said of Jurrjens. "We're just waiting for him to pitch two or three good ballgames, bottom line. I don't think the Medlen thing has anything to do with him, really."

After that he had a simple message for Jurrjens that basically says if he wants to get back to the Braves rotation then he needs to pitch better and show some consistency at the Triple A level.

"We're just waiting for him to run a good string and feel like he can help us," Gonzalez said. "When he can, we'll move him up. It's got nothing to do with ‘We don't want him' or don't care about him, or Medlen."

Jurrjens' stint with Gwinnett has been a roller coaster ride so far with a few good starts mixed in with a lot of bad. Two starts ago he through his best of the season throwing eight shutout innings while allowing three hits against Rochester. He followed that up by lasting just 4 2/3 while allowing 12 hits and 10 runs (six earned) on Friday.

Less we forget Jurrjens salary for this season is $5.5 million which he is paid regardless of whether he is in Atlanta or Gwinnett. The Braves have no incentive to bury him in the minors.

For more on the Atlanta Braves, check out Talking Chop. All your MLB news is at Baseball Nation.

Jair Jurrjens Says He Feels 'Not Wanted' By Atlanta Braves

2012-06-02T12:36:32Z

Jair Jurrjens' minor league stint to try and get back to his All-Star self hasn't gone as planned, and with a lot invested in the 26-year old right-hander its seems the relationship between the Atlanta Braves and Jurrjens is starting to become sour -- at least, that's how Jurrjens sees it.

"I understand it’s a business, and they need to do what they need to do," said Jurrjens, less than a year removed from being an All-Star. "But you have feelings, and it hurts when you feel like you’re not wanted somewhere."

For after a month now, Jurrjens has been with Triple-A Gwinnett, where he's compiled an ERA of 5.56 and is 3-3 overall. Those numbers haven't been good enough for the Braves to recall Jurrjens to the big leagues, and when the front office by passed Jurrjens for after sending down Kris Medlen it didn't sit well.

"You hear stuff. When the Medlen stuff happened, people around here, my teammates, were like, ‘Wow, they didn’t even think to call you back up?’ People were asking me, ‘Did they say anything to you?’ It just shows me what I mean to them. It doesn’t feel good, but that’s OK. It’s business."

If Jurrjens want to make it back to major, it seems not only his performance will need to turn around but so will his attitude.

"All I can control is my performance," he said. "If I’m not in their plans, I’ll move on. But I’m not a Triple-A pitcher."

For more on the Atlanta Braves, check out Talking Chop. All your MLB news is at Baseball Nation.

Jair Jurrjens Makes First Start For Triple-A Gwinnett Braves

2012-04-30T14:31:08Z

Jair Jurrjens was sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett to get healthy and to regain his confidence on the mound that he had lost ever since struggling mightily in the second half of the 2011 season. Unlike Jeff Francoeur, who had a very sinister attitude following his demotion to the Minors back in 2008, Jurrjens understood the move completely and has vowed to get better.

The 26-year-old made his first start in the Minors on Sunday afternoon and pitched well, working seven innings against the Toledo Mud Hens. Jurrjens allowed just one run to score on four hits and three walks, striking out four batters in the process.

An encouraging note: JJ needed just 94 pitches to get through his seven innings of work. Since he lacks great 'stuff' on the mound, getting the third and final out or getting out of a jam has been a serious issue for Jurrjens in recent years. While the talent level is obviously lower in Triple-A, it was encouraging to see him be a bit more efficient on the mound.

Look for Jurrjens to make yet another start on Friday or Saturday.

For more on the Braves, check out Talking Chop.

Atlanta Braves' Jair Jurrjens: 'Nobody To Blame But Myself' For Demotion

2012-04-25T22:35:18Z

Struggling Atlanta Braves starter Jair Jurrjens was demoted to AAA following another disaster start on Monday, but the righty isn't pointing fingers at anybody else. While many players would be angry at management for not having more faith, Jurrjens said that he can only blame himself for his demotion.

"If you're honest with yourself, I have nobody to blame but myself," said Jurrjens, who was 0-2 with a 9.37 ERA in four starts this season. "I cannot be mad at anybody other than me."

Jurrjens called it a "reality check," and said it hasn't been easy.

Jurrjens' struggles are nothing new, though. Jurrjens struggled in the second half in 2011, going just 1-3 with a 5.88 ERA in 41.1 innings after the All-Star break. In those 41.1 innings, Jurrjens walked 19 while striking out only 25.

Further, Jurrjens' velocity has dipped each of the last three years. In 2010, Jurrjens averaged 91.3 mph on his fastball. In 2011, his average heater dropped to 89.1 on the radar gar, and so far this year, Jurrjens has averaged just 88.4 mph.

Atlanta certainly made the right move sending Jurrjens down, and Atlanta brass and fans alike should be hoping that it's something mechanical wrong with Jurrjens -- and not an injury.

For more on the Atlanta Braves, be sure to check out Talking Chop.

2012 Braves Roster: Cory Gearrin Called Up From Triple-A Gwinnett

2012-04-25T11:06:34Z

The Atlanta Braves called up reliever Cory Gearrin on Tuesday to temporarily take the roster spot of Jair Jurrjens who was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett Monday night after he struggled in his start against the Dodgers. Gearrin figures to stick with the Braves until the weekend when Tim Hudson will be activated in time for his scheduled start on Sunday.

Gearrin has been solid at the Triple-A level this season pitching 12-1/3 scoreless innings in 10 appearances for the Gwinnett Braves. Gearrin has 15 strikeouts against two walks on the season. He will give manager Fredi Gonzalez and extra arm to use out of the bullpen until Sunday. As a rookie in 2011, Gearrin had a 7.85 ERA in 18 appearances with the Braves.

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Jair Jurrjens Optioned To Triple-A Gwinnett By Braves

2012-04-24T05:59:29Z

Following his fourth poor start to begin the 2012 season, the Atlanta Braves announced late on Monday night that Jair Jurrjens has been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. The move was announced after the players had left the clubhouse, so we will likely get more details on the move early Tuesday morning, according to MLB's Mark Bowman.

Jurrjens lasted just 3+ innings against the Dodgers, allowing five runs to score on nine hits and a walk. He did not strike out anyone and only induced two swings-and-misses at the plate. His ERA for the year is now 9.37.

The velocity on his fastball has dropped considerably since last summer and the lack of development on his breaking pitches is concerning. He simply just isn't the same pitcher that impressed so many in Atlanta from 2008-2010.

Tim Hudson is set to make his final rehab start on Tuesday night, likely meaning he will take Jurrjens' turn in the rotation come Saturday or Sunday against the Pirates. Many felt that 22-year-old Randall Delgado would be the one sent to the Minors once Hudson returned, but that appears to no longer be the case.

This is a very surprising move for the Braves, but undoubtably the right one. Even though he said he felt fine on the mound following another poor performance, Jurrjens clearly has something going on. Whether it be physical or mental, well, he should get plenty of time in Gwinnett to figure it out.

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