Braves’ fans everywhere saw flashes of 2011 as veteran pitcher and clubhouse leader, Tim Hudson, was carted off the field with an ankle injury last Wednesday.  The 2011 season is of course the campaign in which the Braves surrendered an 8.5 game Wild Card lead after going 9-18 in September.  However, there are several pieces in place in Atlanta that stand in the way of another epic collapse.  With Hudson out for the rest of the season, let’s take a look at some Atlanta players that need to step up in his absence to ensure a playoff berth for the Braves.

Brandon Beachy, Starting Pitcher

Beachy is fresh off the disabled list and made his first start of the season on Monday against the Colorado Rockies.  The righty was tagged for seven runs in only 3.2 innings in his season debut and wound up with a no-decision; an outing that Manager Fredi Gonzalez would like to forget.  It doesn’t seem like that trend will continue, as Beachy pitched well in 2012 before he was injured.  He notched a 5-5 record with a 2.00 earned run average and a 0.96 WHIP.  The Braves were very excited for him to be back in the rotation, although he will definitely have to put his first start of the year behind him and start fresh on Saturday. 

Kris Medlen, Starting Pitcher

Medlen was one of the top storylines for the Braves in the second half of the 2012 season.  The team won 12 straight games that he started, from July 31st to September 30th before the streak was snapped in the Wild Card game against the St. Louis Cardinals.  In his 2012 starts, Medlen pitched into the eighth inning or later four times, something he has failed to do once so far this season.  The Braves were counting on a continuation of Medlen’s 2012 success this season, but it just hasn’t been there.  Although he has a sub-four earned run average, his command has been less than desirable and his pitch count has taken him out of games early, putting some strain on the injury-riddled bullpen.  Medlen showed a huge boost in confidence and command in his last start against the Cardinals, going six strong innings while only giving up two earned runs against one of the best lineups in baseball. 

The Bullpen

It might seem like the bullpen isn’t an appropriate item in this article considering they have the lowest earned run average in baseball (2.62), but I feel they do need to step up.  Last year, the Braves bullpen struggled down the stretch, particularly Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty.  This was most likely due to the high inning count they accrued throughout the season.  This year has been different, considering those two horses have been on the disabled list.  The workload in the pen this season has been divided more evenly, which should lead to fresher arms down the stretch.  However, with a Hudson-less rotation, the relief staff needs to continue to be as sharp as ever. 

The 1 & 2 Spots in the Lineup

The Braves have struggled mightily to get production from the first two spots in the order.  Those in the leadoff spot in the lineup are batting a combined .242 which is 27th in the league.  The number two spot is batting an abysmal .226 which is good for 29th in the league ahead of only the Washington Nationals.  These two spots need to start getting on base for those behind them.  Freddie Freeman is batting a ridiculous .425 with runners in scoring position, but has only had 85 chances due to the lack of production from the top of the order.  It’s very hard to maintain confidence and consistently score runs when the top of the lineup is struggling like they are.  I think it’s going to be next to impossible to make a deep postseason run without these two spots stepping up.