Atlanta Journal-Constitution
February 16, 2010
Braves pitcher Jair Jurrjens has a sore right shoulder and will travel to Atlanta later this week for an MRI exam, which team officials hope will rule out significant injury to one of the key members of the club's rotation.
Two persons familiar with the situation said Jurrjens had lingering soreness in the shoulder after arriving early at the Braves spring training headquarters in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The young standout arrived in camp a week before pitchers and catchers are due to report Friday.
Jurrjens, who turned 24 on Jan. 29, was 14-10 with a 2.60 ERA that was the third-lowest in the National League in 2009. A Braves athletic trainer examined the right-hander this week and determined the rotator cuff and labrum in his throwing shoulder to be structurally sound.
However, since his mild soreness has lingered for several few days, the decision was made to fly him to Atlanta for a precautionary MRI by the end of the week.
The Braves hope he has nothing more than a case of tendinitis. Jurrjens told a team official that he felt a twinge when he flipped a ball underhanded during a recent game in his native Curacao, shortly before he arrived in Florida.
