By Bill Shanks
Fox Sports South.com
October 21, 2010
The Braves announced that starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens had surgery Tuesday in Birmingham to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee.
Famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery.
The injury kept Jurrjens out of the last two weeks of the regular season and the Division Series. The Braves expect Jurrjens to be fully recovered and ready for spring training.
It was an injury-plagued season for the 24-year-old Jurrjens, who missed two months with a hamstring injury. He made only 20 starts in his third season with the Braves. Jurrjens was 7-6 with a 4.64 ERA in 116.1 innings.
There has been speculation Jurrjens could be shopped this winter as the Braves try to improve the offense. Jurrjens is eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, so his contract will increase substantially.
Atlanta general manager Frank Wren has tried to downplay any talk of the Braves using their pitching depth in a deal to improve the offense. Veterans Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe are probably off the table, and Tommy Hanson still has a year to go before he gets to arbitration.
If the Braves hang on to Jurrjens they desperately need him to bounce back to form. He was considered the ace of the staff going into the 2010 season, but a rough month of April and then his injury that put him out for May and June really ruined his season.
Jurrjens had a slow spring training when he experienced shoulder trouble, so it was just an injury-riddled season for the Atlanta right-hander.
