Tommy Hanson took a step backward yesterday, as the right-hander cut short his Instructional League start. Originally hoping he could return for playoffs, the Atlanta Braves are now unsure if Hanson will be able to return at all this season.
Hanson threw two innings and 41 pitches before he left yesterday’s start, again dealing with discomfort in his throwing arm. Atlanta had hoped Hanson would go at least three or four innings Friday, but the flare up put things on hold for the afternoon.
Atlanta has indicated that they haven’t officially shut Hanson down for the year. But, they have been saying through this entire process that if Hanson is still feeling “uncomfortable” they will not hesitate to end his season.
While you certainly don’t want to be messing with the arm of one of your young studs, shutting Hanson down might be easier said than done. Without Hanson and rotation-mate Jair Jurrjens, the Braves clearly haven’t been the same club in the second half. Some don’t believe Atlanta holds much of a chance in the postseason without the pair.
Last week it was looking like Hanson may be able to make one final start this regular season in preparation for the playoffs. Hanson put together a string of successful side sessions last week. All of that was supposed to build up to his Instructional League start, but instead Hanson experienced Friday’s setback.
You have to look no further than the first half of the regular season to see how valuable Hanson is for the Braves. Before the All-Star break, Hanson maintained an ERA of 2.44 with 109 strike outs over his 103.1 innings of work. During that time, Hanson held opposing hitters to a miniscule .190 batting average.
But Hanson was not the same pitcher following the Mid-Summer Classic, surrendering 24 earned runs on 36 hits over his five second half starts. Noticing something wasn’t right, Atlanta shut Hanson down in the middle of August. The 25-year-old has been trying to get back since, with Friday being his latest bump in the road to recovery.
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