The Braves have placed righty reliever Buddy Carlyle on the 15-day disabled list with a strained neck. Carlyle has pitched in 9 games (0 starts) this season for the Braves and he is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. He has been replaced on the roster by lefty starter Chuck James. James appears to still be hurting as he hasn’t pitched too well this season. James has started 4 games for the Braves so far this season and he is 2-2 with a 7.58 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. He has allowed an amazing 4 homers and he has also walked 11 batters in only 19 innings for the Braves.

The Braves’ #2 prospect in their minor league system according to Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook is 18-year old lefty swinging outfielder Jason Heyward and he’s off to a good start in the minors. Heyward has played in 32 games so far this season in A-Ball and he is 38 for 123 (.209 avg, .779 OPS) with 24 runs scored, 3 homers, 16 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. Heyward is just the latest star that the Braves have drafted from their own state (Georgia) which they scout quite extensively. The Braves might put Heyward on the fast track as LF appears to be an open job in the near future.

Jeff Bennett has done a little starting when the Braves needed him to and he has also worked out of the bullpen this year. With the sudden rash of injuries to the pitching staff, Bennett has stepped up and helped the Braves stay afloat in the National League East. He has pitched in 12 games (3 starts) for the Braves so far this season and he is 0-1 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Bennett has walked too many hitters (14 in 27.1 innings) but the Braves can live with that as long as misses enough bats.

The Braves have acquired 35-year old switch hitter Greg Norton from the Mariners. Norton was off to a hot start for the Mariners as he played in 6 games for them and he was 7 for 16 (.438 avg, 1.063 OPS) with 2 runs scored and 4 RBIs. Norton has now played in 901 games in his major league career and he is 547 for 2,163 (.253 avg, .764 OPS) with 285 runs scored, 82 homers and 300 RBIs. The Braves will trade either a player to be named later or a wad of cash for Norton. Norton will make a fine addition to the Braves bench as he is a solid hitter.

The Braves have placed infielder Martin Prado on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left thumb that could cause him to miss 6-8 weeks. Prado was off to a good start for the Braves so this is a shame for him. Prado has played in 18 games for the Braves this season and he is 11 for 39 (.282 avg, .845 OPS) with 10 runs scored, 6 RBIs and 1 stolen base. Prado’s injury will open the door for Ruben Gotay who should get more playing time while he is out. Gotay has played in 21 games for the Braves so far this season and he is 5 for 20 (.250 avg, .675 OPS) with 2 runs scored. Gotay will likely do a solid job for the Braves while Prado is out.