Austin Kearns will undergo surgery today to remove three bone chips from his right elbow. However, he is expected to need only a week to ten days to recover from the procedure so he should be back in time to play in another week of Spring Training games before the start of the season. Provided there are no complications, this surgery should not effect his production during the year.

Scott Williamson sustained a small fracture in the middle finger of his right hand when a line drive came back at the pitching mound while he was pitching in a game last Thursday. Fortunately, he too should experience a speedy recovery, possibly returning to games in less than a week. With adequate rest, the injury should not trouble him during the season.

Danny Graves transition from closer to starter hasn't gone particularly smoothly this spring. An inflamed patellar tendon is now bothering him and will cause Graves to miss his next Spring Training start. I've had doubts about Graves' ability to pitch effectively in the rotation since the Reds first began pondering the idea, so I fear if he encounters even minor injuries he may experience serious problems during the season.

Minor injuries are also plaguing the Braves this spring. Marcus Giles, Rafael Furcal, and Andruw Jones all have sprained ankles. Giles' injury is an aggravation of the severe right ankle sprain he suffered last season. He's already returned to games, however he expects the ankle to cause him problems periodically throughout the season. Consequently, this year is unlikely to be the one in which he begins stealing bases the way he did in the minors.

Furcal injured his left ankle sliding over second base in a Spring Training game a week ago Sunday. The injury is not considered severe, however his ankle remains swollen so he will sit out for at least a few more days. If this costs him much more than another week, he could start the season slowly due to a lack of Spring Training at-bats. I also suspect he'll baby the ankle somewhat for at least the first month of the season, as the Braves don't want to risk losing him for an extended length of time. Initially, he probably won't attempt many steals requiring him to slide.

Jones turned his ankle in the outfield during batting practice prior to Saturday's game. His injury is considered the least severe of the three and he may resume play as soon as tomorrow.

Paul Byrd has battled a sore groin since January and has now developed a sore elbow. The Braves suspect the elbow soreness is a result of Byrd altering his delivery to compensate for his sore groin. Atlanta doesn't consider either injury serious, but I'm concerned that if he doesn't take the time to allow his groin to heal properly prior to Opening Day, it may continue to bother him and we've already seen one possible consequence of that.

Atlanta has three pitchers, Jason Marquis, Trey Hodges, and Horacio Ramirez, in competition for the fifth starter's job, so if Bryd's injuries cause him to spend time on the disabled list two of the three could make the rotation temporarily. Ramirez has impressed the Braves this spring. Atlanta drafted Ramirez out of high school with their 5th round pick of the 1997 draft, and he has shown promise throughout his time in the minors. However, he has not pitched above AA and only returned from 2001 Tommy John surgery in June of 2002. While I suspect the young lefty could hold on in the majors, I don't think he's prepared to excel. The Braves would be shortchanging the 23-year-old to allow him to break camp with the team this year when a half season of AAA could solidify his development. I believe he would be effective in a bullpen role, but he'll benefit more from time at AAA.

Trey Hodges has demonstrated his skills at AAA, and though he doesn't appear to have top of the rotation stuff, he looks like at least a solid fifth starter. Marquis does not strikeout many batters and has mild control problems. If in the rotation, he'll be adequate but probably nothing more. Consequently, I'm inclined to believe Hodges should be the Braves fifth starter while Marquis works out of the bullpen and spot starts when needed. However, if Atlanta intends to deal Marquis, then he should build up his trade value in the rotation.

Joe Dawley is another pitcher who could make spot starts for the Braves. Baltimore drafted Dawley out of Riverside California Community College with their 28th round pick of the 1992 draft, and then released him during the 1995 season. At that time, Dawley signed with a team in the independent Western League, where he spent the next three and a half seasons. Atlanta signed him prior to the 1999 season and again prior to 2000. He underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2000 and missed the entire season. However, the Braves chose to re-sign him after the season and he's been on their roster since then. Last year at AAA, the 31-year-old compiled a 136:36 K:BB with 113 H and 10 HR allowed in 140 IP for a 2.63 ERA over 24 appearances, including 23 starts. He's done well this spring and could grab a bullpen spot, though he's unlikely to grab a rotation job unless another starter is injured.