Dare I say that we may have signed the hitter's equivalent of Mike Hampton? After only two spring training at-bats, newly signed left fielder Garret Anderson pulled his right calf muscle while warming up -- very Hampton-esque. Now we get the inclination that he's not going to be able to play for a while:
Talked to Garret Anderson and he's not big on giving timetables, but reading between the lines, I'd say it'll be a couple of weeks on his calf.
There was supposed to be some further clarification after the game, but so far I've seen nothing. It's certainly good news for Matt Diaz, but let's hope it's not more wasted money and wated roster space.
Earlier in the spring, Anderson indicated that he would need around 30 at-bats to get ready for the season. If that is still the case, it's going to be tough for him to get them in the last week of games, if he will indeed be out for two weeks.
This seems to be more than the usual spring training muscle strain, and more like a full-blown injury. It's not a good sign that the middle of the Braves order, Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson, are both on the mend right now. Meet your new cleanup hitter, Jeff Francoeur.