Demotion of Jair Jurrjens Leaves a Big Hole for the Atlanta Braves

Make no mistake, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens wasn’t off to a great start in 2012.  In fact, he hadn’t really pitched all that well since the All-Star break in 2011.  But still, his demotion to AAA Gwinnett leaves a big hole in the Braves’ starting rotation that wont be easily filled by manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Jurrjens – who was selected to his first All-Star team in 2011 – had a 12-3 record, with a 1.87 ERA in the first half of the 2011 season, and and it looked like he was on his way to becoming the Braves’ ace starter. But the second half of the season wasn’t as kind to him, as his numbers took a steep decline and injuries took their toll on the Braves right-hander.

(Continue Reading)