Milwaukee placed IF-R Junior Spivey on the disabled list on July 4th. Spivey dislocated his left shoulder when he dove head first into first base during the sixth inning in the second game of the Brewers' July 2nd double-header in Pittsburgh. The shoulder popped back into place without the aid of medical personnel, and he remained in the game until the seventh, but when he awoke the following morning the joint was almost too stiff to move. An MRI evidently revealed substantial fluid buildup in the shoulder but no significant new damage. The pictures did note the presence of a labrum tear, which Spivey reports he has known about for the last five or six years. He has been able to work around the tear with an aggressive conditioning program, so there are no plans for the 29-year-old to undergo surgery to repair the damage. Initial estimates indicated he would miss two to four weeks as a result of the injury, but he has not yet begun swinging a bat, so I do not expect him back until early August and he could easily miss another month.

After reportedly combating a sore left elbow for over a month, OF-L Dewayne Wise hit the disabled list on June 23rd when he felt he was no longer able to throw effectively. Tests failed to reveal substantial ligament damage, and the injury was described as a strain. Following a couple of weeks of rest, he went on a rehab assignment. However, upon activating him from the disabled list on July 15th, Atlanta immediately optioned the 26-year-old to AAA. Wise likely will return in September, but the Braves presently appear content with OF-L Charles Thomas, who filled the roster spot opened by Wise's trip to the DL.

Atlanta drafted Thomas out of Western Carolina University with a 19th round pick in the 2000 draft. He bounced between levels for the next few years until settling in at AAA Richmond in the International League this spring. At the time of this promotion, the 25-year-old was hitting .358 with a .416 OBP and .535 SLG on 77 H, 18 2B, 4 3B, and 4 HR with a 16:40 BB:K and 7/12 SB% in 215 AAA AB. He's now in a platoon with Eli Marrero, playing left field against right-handed pitching while Marrero faces lefties. Thomas currently is hitting .385 with a .429 OBP and .712 SLG on 20 H, 4 2B, 2 3B, and 3 HR with a 3:5 BB:K in 52 AB. I'd like to see his plate discipline rebound to the levels he displayed over last two seasons, but with his promising power and useful speed, he should be able to hold onto his current position through the end of the season.