The End for Smoltz?

John Smoltz says he wants to pitch again, but at 41 years of age and facing a lengthy rehab following the season ending shoulder surgery he will have next week, it seems unlikely. I wouldn’t put anything past the guy, though. After all, he’s come back from four previous elbow surgeries and was still one of the best pitchers in the game, when healthy. Heck, he was one of the top 10 or 15 starting pitchers drafted in most fantasy leagues this spring.

The severity of Smoltz’s shoulder injury is not known; all we know is that he could barely lift his arm and he has been battling the pain all season. The extent of the damage will be discovered once the one and only Dr. James Andrews has him on his operating table in Alabama next week. At that time we should have a better idea of the odds Smoltz is up against.

Without Smoltz in the closer role that he attempted to reprise, the Braves will give Rafael Soriano the first shot at working the ninth innings, but he’s had some elbow issues this year and his injury history is considerable. Manny Acosta and Will Ohman could be in line for some save opportunities as well if Soriano falters or his injury issues flare up again. Trading for a closer before the deadline at the end of July is always a possibility as well. The Braves were preseason favorites of many to get to the World Series and are in the thick of the hunt in the NL East even though the standings say they are in fourth place.

If in fact we have seen the last of Smoltz on a pitching mound, then it is a sad way to go out for such a great pitcher and, by all accounts, a tremendous guy off the field. One thing I do know is that he will be headed to Cooperstown someday and will be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside the two other members of the Braves’ famed Big Three: Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Smoltz is the only pitcher in baseball history to win 200 games and save 150 games and he is the career leader in post-season wins with 15.

Here’s hoping he’ll have a chance to add to those stats one last season, or at least part of one last season.