Ramiro Pena had established himself as a versatile chip in the Braves lineup, but now the roster has been dealt a blow with the veteran set to have season-ending shoulder surgery.
Pena will have surgery Thursday on his right, non-throwing shoulder, to repair a torn labrum. The procedure will be performed by Dr. James Andrews in Florida.
Pena, who hit .233/.266/.288 with two home runs in 313 at-bats over four seasons with the Yankees, proved a spark for the Braves as he drove in six runs in his first three starts in Atlanta. He drove in 12 runs in all with three HRs, five doubles and one triple, hitting .278/.330/.443 in 97 at-bats.
He was placed on the 15-day disabled list last week and after receiving opinions from at least two doctors, opted to have surgery instead of trying to play with the injury.
The Braves promoted Paul Janish from Triple-A Gwinnett to fill Pena’s spot, but it’s Tyler Pastornicky that may be the most logical player to fill Pena's role on the roster.
Touted as a utility option this spring, Pastornicky was brought in when Evan Gattis was placed on the DL and has seen time at shortstop and second base over the past two seasons. He was also used in the outfield this year in Gwinnett.
