In an article for ESPN.com, Jerry Crasnick reports that OF Jordan Schafer, a top prospect in the Atlanta Braves system, was suspended 50 games for HGH use.

Schafer, 21, is currently playing for the Braves AA affiliate in Mississippi.  Baseball America ranked him number 25 on their list of the top 100 minor league players.

Even though this happened to the Braves, its tough to take joy from this.  You hate to see a promising young kid mess up his future with PED’s.    

The Mets travel to Atlanta tonight to play the opening game of a three game series at Turner Field. Gametime is scheduled for 7:35 EST. The pitchers for tonight’s game will be John Maine and Tim Hudson. Maine went 3-1 with a 1.85 era in Spring Training. Hudson took a no decision in his opening night start against the Nats last Sunday. Lineups courtesy of Fox Sports.

Lineups:

Mets

• SS Jose Reyes
• 2B Luis Castillo
• 3B David Wright
• CF Carlos Beltran
• 1B Carlos Delgado
• RF Ryan Church
• LF Angel Pagan
• C Brian Schneider
• P John Maine

Braves

• SS Yunel Escobar
• CF Mark Kotsay
• 3B Chipper Jones
• 1B Mark Teixeira
• C Brian McCann
• RF Jeff Francoeur
• LF Matt Diaz
• 2B Martin Prado
• P Tim Hudson

Hopefully we can get some baseball in tonight.

As always, head on over to The Hot Foot Bleachers to talk Mets Baseball.

Mike Hampton was scratched from what would be his first start since 2005. No word yet on the why, but its safe to assume he’s done till 2009. Hampton has been out since an elbow injury in August of 2005, and at one point was both healthy and a Met, where he was the 2000 NLCS MVP. Ah, remember than Mike?

Somewhere, Kerry Wood is nervous.  

MLB.com is reporting that Braves 2B Kelly Johnson strained his right knee while trying to score on a Yunel Escobar triple. He is day to day.

That Gotay signing is looking pretty good right now if hes out for any extended period of time.

According to the AP, the Braves have signed recently cut Scott Spiezio to a minor league deal. Spiezo was released from the Cardinals after struggling with a substance abuse problem and a drunk driving incident. Spiezo will report to the teams AAA team in Richmond (creatively called the Richmond Braves), and the organization hints that he’ll be released if he hasn’t changed his ways.

According to GM Wren:

“We’ll see if he’s the person we think he is. If he’s not, he won’t be here.”

An interesting though odd move by Atlanta. Signing injury prone and old pitchers is one thing, blowing up in the playoffs, yep thats their style too. But they do tend to stick to a clean cut image and have never been a team filled with bad seeds and problem head cases. So signing a guy with a pending trial and a drinking problem seems a bit out of character. That seems like more of a Nats type of move.

Yahoo Sports! is reporting that John Smoltz is feeling better, and is on track to pitch on the 6th against the Mets. He has been out with discomfort in his right shoulder, but is reportedly healing up. Smoltz:

“I just needed some time for it to settle down. It has settled down. Now I’ll approach it like anything else. I’ll take two days off, come down here and throw and just have my eyes on my next start on Sunday.”

That game will be his first start, moving Brave turned Met turned Brave Tom Glavine to the home opener pitcher.

Should be interesting, if he starts his season against us. His career ERA vs the Mets is 3.42 over just shy of 300 innings. He’s 40-17 against the Mets, which one could call good. Its all counterbalanced by him not quite being back to his game, and a struggling Smoltz still working out the rust and kinks could take a shellacking from a Mets lineup.

According to the AP, Braves starter John Smoltz did not throw today, meaning he’s likely to start the season on the DL. Smoltz has had some tightness in the shoulder, resulting in a missed start last week.

This has to be at least a little worrisome for Braves fans, with Smoltz and Glavines age, and Hamptons having spent the last decade or so on the DL, any injury to the rotation has to make them nervous. Luckily we don’t have such worries, since El Duque is a bastion of health. 

The Associated Press reports that the Braves and Mark Teixeira avoided arbitration, coming to terms on a $12.5 million, one-year contract.

Teixeira will be eligible for free agency at the end of the 2008 season.

On the Atlanta Braves MLB.com page, Mark Bowman writes of the Mets

This once again appears to be a three-horse race, with the Mets only currently being listed to satisfy those looking to bet a trifecta. Of course, if New York general manager Omar Minaya is able to bring Johan Santana to Queens, prognosticators will have a much tougher time projecting the clear-cut kings of the NL East.

Right, so the only way the Mets even enter into the discussion is if they land Santana. Because the Braves were so scary good last year and have improved so much this off season.

Assuming Kotsay proves to be healthy and regains the form he had before his back started giving him problems, there is definitely reason to believe Atlanta could be hoisting another division crown.

Ah yes, you heard it hear first folks, Mark Kotsay is going to tip the balance of power back to the Braves in the NL East. I will remember this moment when I am yelling Mark @&$!ing! Kotsay in late September.

Look, I am all about showing some humility and remembering the lessons we learned about underestimating your opponent late last year, but some things you just have to recognize as being patently absurd.

Check out why the Braves and Phillies don’t need to worry about the Mets in Bowman’s article on MLB.com

Photo courtesy of Oscar on Flickr.

The AP reports that catcher Javy Lopez is returning to his old team, the Atlanta Braves after signing a minor league deal.

This is nothing more than insurance for their everyday catcher Brian McCann. I thought Javy retired about 5 years ago. I guess i was wrong.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Mike Hampton injured his right hamstring in his first start in the Mexican Winter League last week.

It is not yet known if he will pitch again this winter.

Hampton has missed the past two seasons recovering from elbow surgeries on his pitching arm, and has had eight stints on the disabled list since being traded to the Braves from the Rockies after the 2002 season.

Hampton is entering the final season of a 8 year, $121 million deal, he is due to receive $15 million this upcoming season.

I just want to thank Mike Hampton and the Colorado school system for allowing the Mets to receive David Wright as a compensation pick for his departure.

Some of the best deals are the ones you don’t make.

Braves ‘pitcher’ Mike Hampton pitched one inning in the Mexican Winter League according the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He gave up one hit and struckout one.

Hampton last pitched in the majors in 2005 when he went down with an elbow injur, had Tommy John, tore an oblique while rehabing, then went in for another surgery. If healthy, he could further strengthen a strong Braves rotation that includes Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.

Too soon to restart the Hampton injury pool? While a healthy Hampton would provide a nice addition to their pitching mix, its also a pitching mix that has the potential to completely unravel. Between Hampton’s prone to injury, and Smoltz and Glavine’s age, you could have a top 3 that could easily have one or more members missing at any given time.

Buster Olney on his blog for ESPN, believes with the addition of Tom Glavine, and a solid starting lineup returning in 2008, the Braves are the current front runners for the NL East.

ESPN reports that the Braves have officially extended an offer to free agent Tom Glavine. According to ESPN, Glavine and his agent will give the Braves their counteroffer sometime tonight.

An actual offer…which means Tom Glavine is gone. Its no secret he wants to go back, if they went to the actual effort of making an offer chances are its enough to get him to say yes, since all he seems to care about is 1) playing and 2) being near his family. If I were a Met outfield prospect right now, I’d be doing my best to convince Omar I’m the one that shouldn’t be sent out west for a starter.