The Braves Blog

“We’re going to go in a different direction, give Med a chance,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday after announcing plans to start him Tuesday against Miami in place of struggling Jair Jurrjens.

Medlen was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett on May 29 to build arm stretch in preparation for a possible switch from relieving to starting duties. Two weeks later the Braves brought him back and decided to keep him in the bullpen, opting instead for Jurrjens in the rotation after a two-month stint in Triple-A.

With that in mind, this time when the Braves told Medlen he would be starting Tuesday, they did so with a caveat: If the team can pull off a trade for a starting pitcher in the next couple of days, Medlen would stay in the bullpen, where he’s filled a valuable role as a bridge between the starters and top relievers.

read the rest: http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/2012/07/28/braves-plan-to-start-medlen-in-place-of-jurrjens/?cxntfid=blogs_atlanta_braves_blog.