Braves: Josh Tomlin hits the injured list

Ah, the mysterious injury bug has struck again. Just over an hour before the Braves matchup with the Dodgers in Game 2 of their three-game series, the team announced Josh Tomlin has hit the 10-day injured list — retroactive to August 29th — with a neck strain.

The #Braves today placed RHP Josh Tomlin on the 10-day IL with a strained neck, backdated to August 29, and recalled RHP Edgar Santana to Atlanta.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 1, 2021

Obviously, I hope there isn’t actually something wrong with Tomlin. Perhaps he is suffering from a legitimate injury, but my money is on this being more of a due diligence.

In his place, Edgar Santana has re-joined the team after a brief stint with Gwinnett. I’m truthfully not sure what the Braves are planning to do with Tomlin. I’ve appreciated what he’s given the club over the years — both on the field and as a veteran leader in the clubhouse — but it’s pretty obvious the Braves have better options. It’s long past time to rip the band-aid off.