Battery Power - Braves Sign Ervin Santana as Kris Medlen's Injury Forces Team's HandYour one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braveshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52890/favicon-32x32..png2014-03-12T20:30:42-04:00http://www.batterypower.com/rss/stream/52643532014-03-12T20:30:42-04:002014-03-12T20:30:42-04:00Kris Medlen Emotionally Discusses Injury
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<figcaption>Scott Cunningham</figcaption>
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<p>Medlen gets emotional while discussing his probable surgery, being a dad and his teammates.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.680thefan.com/audiovault/front_row_audio.php#">680 The Fan</a> posted audio of their interviews with <span>Kris Medlen</span> this afternoon. As some of you all have probably heard, he, quite understandably, got really emotional. The third one down is the longest at 3:11, but they're all worth a listen to, so I'll just let Meds speak for himself. If the embedded player doesn't work, each link takes you to each clip:</p>
<center> <embed controls="ControlPanel" autostart="false" border="5" height="25" width="200" src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/4130311/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645150.mp3"></embed><br><a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/4130311/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645150.mp3">Medlen discusses mentally preparing for a second Tommy John surgery.</a><br><embed controls="ControlPanel" autostart="false" border="5" height="25" width="200" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/4130309/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645294.mp3"></embed><br><a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/4130309/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645294.mp3">Medlen discusses being a dad and that putting things into perspective.</a><br><embed controls="ControlPanel" autostart="false" border="5" height="25" width="200" src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/4130331/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645362.mp3"></embed><br><a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/4130331/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645362.mp3">Medlen talks about when he knew there was a problem.</a> <br><embed controls="ControlPanel" autostart="false" border="5" height="25" width="200" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/4130307/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645430.mp3"></embed><br><a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/4130307/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645430.mp3">Medlen talks about getting multiple opinions on the injury.</a> <br><embed controls="ControlPanel" autostart="false" border="5" height="25" width="200" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/4130313/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645501.mp3"></embed><br><a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/4130313/Brave_Pitcher_Kris_Medlen_Audio_Clip-1394645501.mp3">Medlen talks about the support from his teammates.</a> </center>
<p>Thanks again to 680 The Fan for <a target="new" href="http://www.680thefan.com/audiovault/front_row_audio.php#">posting these clips</a>.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2014/3/12/5502500/kris-medlen-emotionally-discusses-injuryJane Hammond2014-03-12T11:00:16-04:002014-03-12T11:00:16-04:00Braves will get no insurance for Medlen
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<figcaption>Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Braves almost certainly did not have insurance against Kris Medlen re-injuring his elbow</p> <p>A lot has been said and asked about whether or not the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a> will receive any insurance payouts should <span>Kris Medlen</span> (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2014/3/12/5500366/kris-medlen-expects-to-have-tommy-john-surgery">as seems likely</a>) miss a substantial portion, if not all, of this season. Here I will lay out the reasons why it is <i>incredibly</i> unlikely the Braves will receive anything from an insurance company as relates to Kris Medlen.</p>
<p>Kris Medlen was on a one-year contract. Teams virtually never buy insurance on a single year contract player who is still in the team controlled part of his career. Almost all insurance policies for baseball contracts in the event of injury are three-year policies. Anything shorter than that typically isn't covered, anything longer than that typically requires a new policy to be issued at the end of the three year span. I've <i>never</i> heard of a team insuring a player on a one-year contract, or otherwise in the team control portion of their career. The reasons are multiple:</p>
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<li>Virtually all insurers require a 90-day period that the team must cover completely. The baseball season is 220 days long, meaning that even if a player was injured prior to the start of the season, insurance wouldn't kick in until the 90th day of the season, meaning only 130 days would be covered. Any injury that happened with less than 90 days remaining wouldn't be covered at all. So, with a single year contract player, you're at most only able to cover a little over half the season.</li>
<li>Insurance contracts can only be signed once the player has a contract agreement. Since insurers typically won't cover any pre-existing injuries, this means that what will be covered for players on single year contracts is drastically reduced. Any injuries that could be linked to the previous season, or even something that may or may not have happened in the off-season wouldn't be covered. This provides little incentive for teams to insure single year contracts.</li>
<li>Most teams can handle one year of risk of a player's salary. Especially the middling sums of players who are typically on one-year contracts. </li>
<li>Insurers require the major league minimum (or more) to be deducted from the amount they must cover. For pitchers, usually only 50-60% of the contract will be covered. Again, this gives little incentive to teams to insure single year contracts.</li>
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<p>So, as we see, even before we get into the specifics of Kris Medlen, it's already incredibly unlikely that he would have his contract insured at all in the event of injury (teams do typically take out life insurance policies on their players, which is a completely different matter, and isn't terribly expensive). Now, let's look into the specifics of why Medlen, and this specific injury, take away virtually all doubt as to whether or not the Braves will have part of his contract covered by insurance.</p>
<p>Insurers these days typically will simply refuse to insure pitchers' elbows and shoulders. They view these sorts of injuries as so ordinary as to be something that insurance, which is primarily to avoid unanticipated costs, shouldn't cover. Occasionally you can find an insurer who will issue a policy covering an elbow, but it is usually incredibly expensive, with the premiums often times being roughly half the player's coverable salary per year. So, even when insurance can be bought on elbows, it's usually prohibitively expensive. Further, when a previous injury happened to the body part in question, it's all but completely impossible to have it covered by insurance.</p>
<p>Because Medlen is on year-to-year contracts, even in the <i>incredibly</i> unlikely scenario where the Braves would have purchased an insurance contract on him following his agreement to this year's contract, it would not have covered a re-injury to his elbow, given his previous Tommy John surgery.</p>
<p>If, as seems likely, Medlen will miss most or all of this year, the Braves almost certainly won't be getting any financial relief in the form of insurance payouts.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2014/3/12/5500144/kris-medlen-and-insurance-or-lack-thereofFranklin J. Rabon2014-03-12T10:40:32-04:002014-03-12T10:40:32-04:00Kris Medlen Expects to Have Tommy John Surgery
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<p>Looks like Medlen's season is finished.</p> <p><span>Kris Medlen</span> has been preparing himself to have another Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.</p>
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<p>Kris Medlen confirms he has spent the past couple days preparing himself to undergo a second TJ surgery</p>
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) <a href="https://twitter.com/mlbbowman/statuses/443757193339211778">March 12, 2014</a>
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<p>Medlen: "I feel like I carry the flag for the underdogs and the people that believe in themselves and no one else does" <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Braves&src=hash">#Braves</a></p>
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinMcAlpin/statuses/443759338105364480">March 12, 2014</a>
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<p>This, of course, is Medlen's second Tommy John surgery which could be disastrous for his career.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2014/3/12/5500366/kris-medlen-expects-to-have-tommy-john-surgeryBenDuronio2014-03-12T10:00:22-04:002014-03-12T10:00:22-04:00Best Cure for the Staff? An Even Better Offense
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<p>The Braves need help, and four position players can do just that.</p> <p>The focus right now is on the pitching staff and the concerns regarding two of the team's top four starters. One way to help balance out a potential drop off from the rotation is by the offense performing at or above expectations. The <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a> had a 101 wRC+ last season, good for third highest in the National League behind only the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cardinals</a> and <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a>.</p>
<p>Would anyone say that the offense lived up to its potential last season? I wouldn't. Even with career years from <span>Freddie Freeman</span> and <span>Chris Johnson</span>, it was pretty evident that the unit as a whole did not meet expectations. It was a productive group, but there is certainly room for them to play better. You would be hard pressed to find a more three true outcome team than the Braves last season. It is one of my favorite types of baseball, so I personally enjoy the fact that they have transitioned into this type of team over the past number of years. Leading the league in home runs, walk rate, and strikeout rate is a pretty amazing feat, and I would expect them to be near the league lead in all of those departments.</p>
<p>Style-wise, the Braves will probably be very similar. But the guys with the most eyes on them should be <span>Dan Uggla</span>, <span>B.J. Upton</span>, <span>Evan Gattis</span> and Chris Johnson. Uggla and Upton were notoriously as bad as it comes last season. There should be at least some expectation for them to improve. Uggla's may only be slight, but Upton's almost guaranteed to be significantly better than he was last year.</p>
<p>Of the two, it is more imperative that Upton turns it around in a big way. It is reasonable to expect better results from those two, just as it is reasonable to expect a downswing from both Chris Johnson and Freddie Freeman, though Freeman probably to a lesser extent. I actually think Freeman will be a top offensive performer again; it's just that a 150 wRC+ season is difficult for anyone to repeat. After all, <span>Chipper Jones</span> had a career mark of 141 for his career.</p>
<p>Saying Freeman's production will likely come down a bit is no slight against him. Johnson and Gattis, on the other hand, we can have some considerable questions about. The Braves got better-than-expected production out of both of these players, the task now is whether or not they can repeat or even improve on their quality Braves debuts. We heard all of the BABIP jokes last year, but even a hitter with an amazing batted ball profile like Johnson should not be expected to match a .394 season. Add on the fact that Johnson didn't hit for much power and hardly ever walks, and his batting average was kind of empty for a corner infielder with a .321 mark. I expect his power to bounce back a bit, but along with that may come a decrease in average and on base percentage. If he ends up being a singles hitter who can poke line drives as frequent than any player in the league, he will still be very productive and it may be the approach that keeps him in a starting gig with a playoff-caliber team.</p>
<p>Gattis has to fill some big shoes. The other players are either trying to improve or replicate on their season, while Gattis has to come in and replace one of the better players the Braves have ever had. I don't expect that pressure to matter much to Gattis, but from an analysis standpoint he has to produce at a high level to try and mimic what the Braves were getting out of that position for the past eight years. Even before McCann, the Braves have always been good at catcher -- with Estrada having his golden year and <span>Javy Lopez</span> being Javy Lopez.</p>
<p>There's a very real chance that Gattis is the team's cleanup hitter while he's in the lineup. He has some monumental power but he needs to hone his on base skills while also attempting to handle the day-to-day duties of a regular catcher for the first time as a major leaguer. ZiPS and Steamer both project him to hit right around the same level he did last year, with a 112 and 108 wRC+ respectively. A 110 wRC+ is nice, but the Braves are used to that number being in the 120's -- as Mac had the last three seasons.</p>
<p>The Braves don't need Upton, Uggla and Johnson to all perform in order to have a top tier offense. They had that type of an offense with two of the four being absolutely pitiful at the plate. We could see a decline from both Gattis and Johnson along with an improvement from Uggla and Upton and still have an offense that's pretty much just as good as it was last year. But if they all were to perform at the levels they are all capable of, this offense looks a whole lot better.</p>
<p>We basically all know that Freeman, Justin, and Heyward are going to perform on offense, and getting what we got out of Simmons was perfectly fine. Getting solid production from the four-seven hitters could be the biggest help the team can provide to the pitching staff. There are external options to help the team get past these potential serious injuries, but there are internal improvements that can bring their offense to the next level.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2014/3/12/5493000/article-about-braves-offenseBenDuronio2014-03-12T09:32:59-04:002014-03-12T09:32:59-04:00What to Expect Out of Ervin Santana
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<p>Just how good will the Braves' new starting pitcher be?</p> <p>With the injuries to <span>Kris Medlen</span> and <span>Brandon Beachy</span> thinning out the depth in the rotation, the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a> signed free agent pitcher <span>Ervin Santana</span> to a one-year deal. Santana has had a volatile past five seasons, with three sub 4.00 ERA seasons and two over 5.00 ERA seasons. So, what should we expect out of him this year?</p>
<p>The first big positive is that he will be moving to the National League for the first time. Like <span>Gavin Floyd</span>, that's a good help for overall rate stats like ERA and FIP. That doesn't necessarily mean he will be a better pitcher, but he should see better results as he faces overall weaker lineups that lack a DH. The second thing to notice is his fastball velocity.</p>
<p>For his career Santana has averaged 92.8 mph with his fastball. Last season, his 3.24 ERA year, he threw a healthy 92.3 mph average heater. The year prior, when his ERA ballooned to 5.16 and he recorded -1.0 fWAR he held an average fastball of 91.7 mph. That is not a gigantic difference, but as a guy who is essentially a two-pitch pitcher, velocity obviously is very important.</p>
<p>In terms of style, as I mentioned he is a two-pitch pitcher. He throws a slider other than his fastball, while he has occasionally shown (6%) a changeup. According to PITCHf/x, Santana received the 10th most value from his slider last year of all pitchers in the major leagues. It is his go to pitch and he throws it on just over 1/3 of his pitches. Last year he threw his slider more frequently than he ever had in the past but not by a substantial amount.</p>
<p>ZiPS and Steamer, the two projection systems you see my quote often, have Santana at a 4.26 and 3.99 ERA respectively while throwing over 185 innings. The key here, to me, is to expect Santana to basically be a full season Gavin Floyd and not a knight in shining armor brought to save the pitching staff. He should be reasonably expected to provide around 2.5 wins this season, which is valuable as a middle rotation member.</p>
<p>The success of the rotation still lies upon the shoulders of <span>Julio Teheran</span> and <span>Mike Minor</span> as the top end starters, and <span>Alex Wood</span>'s potential is right there with both Teheran's and Minor's. Having Santana and eventually Floyd fill in on the back end makes for a quality and reliable veteran back end, which again has plenty of value. Expect Santana to perform as a solid mid-rotation starter, and hopefully perform well enough to earn himself another qualifying offer this winter that gets the Braves the pick back that they lost.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2014/3/12/5500118/what-to-expect-out-of-ervin-santanaBenDuronio2014-03-12T09:08:33-04:002014-03-12T09:08:33-04:00Braves Sign Ervin Santana to One-Year Deal
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<p>The <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a> announced that they have signed free agent RHP <span>Ervin Santana</span> to a one-year deal, worth $14.1M.</p>
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<p>Here is Frank Wren introducing <a href="https://twitter.com/ErvinSantana_54">@ErvinSantana_54</a> to the media. Welcome to Braves Country Ervin! <a href="http://t.co/5cEULf2FNj">pic.twitter.com/5cEULf2FNj</a></p>
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/statuses/443744186958114816">March 12, 2014</a>
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<p>In signing Santana, the Braves will lose their first round pick in this year's draft (26th overall). Their compensation pick for McCann is now bumped up to the 31st overall pick. The hope is Santana can pitch well enough to tag him with a qualifying offer and essentially get the pick back next year.</p>
<p>Santana is a bandaid to the current troubles of the Braves rotation. Even as a league average starter, he is an upgrade over what the Braves planned to trot out previously. The biggest risk with Santana is his high volatility in performance over the course of his career. On the plus side, while future durability is never guaranteed, Santana has made 30+ starts in five of his last six seasons, something this team is in current need of.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2014/3/12/5499982/braves-sign-ervin-santana-to-1-year-dealAndrew Sisson2014-03-11T11:01:24-04:002014-03-11T11:01:24-04:00Kris Medlen Getting Second Opinion On Injury
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<p>Frank Wren announces that Kris Medlen's MRI revealed "involvement of the ligament"</p> <p>In a press conference around 11 AM EDT this morning, Frank Wren announced that Kris Medlen's MRI revealed "involvement of the ligament." At this point, they're uncertain what this means, and they'll be looking for more information.</p>
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<p>Kris Medlen's MRI revealed involvement of the ligament. He will continue to be evaluated. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Braves&src=hash">#Braves</a></p>
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinMcAlpin/statuses/443397840891830273">March 11, 2014</a>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Braves&src=hash">#Braves</a> Wren on Medlen: "MRI does show some involvement in the ligament. We don't know the ex tent yet. He's going to have continued tests"</p>
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) <a href="https://twitter.com/grantmcauley/statuses/443398519509250048">March 11, 2014</a>
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<p>Needless to say though, it's not great.</p>
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<p>Wren says Medlen's MRI showed damage around the right elbow ligament. But they will wait a few more days to make a decision</p>
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) <a href="https://twitter.com/mlbbowman/statuses/443400363954438144">March 11, 2014</a>
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<p>They may go to Dr. James Andrews for the second opinion, since MRIs are often difficult to read after Tommy John surgery</p>
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<p>My guess is that there's something that's either weird scar tissue or a tear and they need dr Andrews to differentiate for sure.</p>
— Franklin Rabon (@fjrabon) <a href="https://twitter.com/fjrabon/statuses/443398849697439744">March 11, 2014</a>
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<p>Like with <span>Jonny Venters</span> last year, Medlen's MRI was hard to read because he has already undergone one TJ surgery</p>
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) <a href="https://twitter.com/mlbbowman/statuses/443400739134910464">March 11, 2014</a>
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<p>Medlen will "likely" see Dr James Andrews, but that hasn't been determined to this point. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Braves&src=hash">#Braves</a></p>
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinMcAlpin/statuses/443398960972312576">March 11, 2014</a>
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<p>GM Frank Wren: "A diagnosis would be premature at this point, he will undergo further tests until we seek a second opinion." <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Braves&src=hash">#Braves</a></p>
— <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/statuses/443399322953342977">March 11, 2014</a>
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<p>As for any potential replacements, should Medlen not get positive news, Wren was noncommittal.</p>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Braves&src=hash">#Braves</a> have inquired on free agent E. Santana. Wren didn't name names, said only that they are exploring options</p>
— David O'Brien (@ajcbraves) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajcbraves/statuses/443398995344637953">March 11, 2014</a>
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<p>No news on <span>Brandon Beachy</span> either, but the team remains optimistic that no news is good news, in his case.</p>
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<p>Nothing new on <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Braves&src=hash">#Braves</a> Beachy, team thinks it's typical soreness and inflammation that can occur coming back from elbow surgery</p>
— David O'Brien (@ajcbraves) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajcbraves/statuses/443399671453868032">March 11, 2014</a>
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<p>It would be premature to speculate what "involvement of the ligament" may mean, but we'll keep you updated as news becomes available. We're not the only ones who are worried, though.</p>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/KevinMcAlpin">@KevinMcAlpin</a> Ok, I will speak for everyone else who is scared to. What the hell does that mean??? Explain 'involvement'.</p>
— <span>Chipper Jones</span> (@RealCJ10) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealCJ10/statuses/443400113030184960">March 11, 2014</a>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2014/3/11/5495960/kris-medlen-getting-second-opinion-on-injuryDan Simpson2014-03-09T14:33:31-04:002014-03-09T14:33:31-04:00Kris Medlen Leaves Start With Injury
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/We-7vHFgAMULlEmG4xYd9Gb50aQ=/0x81:469x394/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/29752067/gyi0060682676.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christian Petersen</figcaption>
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<p>This is certainly bad news</p> <p><span>Kris Medlen</span> was cruising through his start this afternoon but in the bottom of the fourth inning he sprinted off the field after throwing a pitch. He headed straight to the dugout and reportedly was grabbing at his elbow as he headed toward the dugout.</p>
<p>Medlen was in line to start opening day, and we will certainly update you if anything new gets reported. From the looks of it, hope for the best but expect the worst.</p>
<p>Here is a gif of his last two pitches per <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jasoncollette">Jason Collete</a>.</p>
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<p><a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/2096555/EveryGlumGrasshopper.gif"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/2096555/EveryGlumGrasshopper_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Everyglumgrasshopper_medium"></a></p>
<p>via <a href="http://giant.gfycat.com/EveryGlumGrasshopper.gif">giant.gfycat.com</a></p>
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https://www.batterypower.com/2014/3/9/5488170/kris-medlen-leaves-game-with-apparent-elbow-injuryBenDuronio