There has been some massive attrition from the Braves bullpen this spring, John Foster, Macay McBride, Blaine Boyer, and now maybe Chris Reitsma because of injury, and a number of other lesser knows because of poor performance. But one guy who has shone like a ray of light here towards the end of spring is minor league uber-journey-man Ken Ray. (While the puns are aplenty with his name, I promise that I will not use any more.) Kenny-boy has amassed a stellar record in four spring outings - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 Ks. Jeff Schultz over at the AJC has a great article about the middle aged middle reliever - a must read. Check out Ray's odyssey of minor league stops over the last few years, and keep in mind independent leagues are not even listed.
It's still an outside shot, but he does have a chance to make the team out of the bullpen this spring. The rest of the bullpen mix is a major 'play it by ear' approach as the season nears. It is now pretty much a certainty that Foster and McBride will start the season on the DL. Boyer's status is up in the air pending another couple outings. Reitsma has a strained hammy and is employing the wait and see approach. Among the starters, John Thomson's 'tender elbow' may cause him to go on the DL, but for now the injury makes him untradeable. If he is able to go, with Davies having secured a rotation spot, that would shift Sosa to the bullpen. Chuck James has pitched well enough to be the second lefty out of the bullpen. Phew. . . who knew things would get so jumbled in the final week of spring.