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So much for the vaunted Atlanta Braves bullpen.

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Anthony Rizzo, who began the season with less than a year of big-league service time, received a long-term contract from the Chicago Cubs, reported Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Clubs are flocking to the negotiating table to lock up their young players these days, so despite such a deal being unique, perhaps Rizzo's deal is just the start.

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Braves center fielder B.J. Upton did not play Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks after being hit in the left shoulder by a pitch the previous evening.

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A pitcher doesn’t make a visit to Dr. James Andres just to get some cough medicine, so the fact that Braves reliever Jonny Venters has made another appointment with the noted surgeon is a ored flag.

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The Atlanta Braves officially have a surplus behind the plate now that Brian McCann has been activated from the disabled list.

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In recent weeks there has been some chatter about batting some of the better hitters in the game in the No. 2 hole -- as the Los Angeles Angels and the Minnesota Twins have done with Mike Trout and Joe Mauer -- rather than the traditional spots at No. 3 or No. 4. ESPN Insider's Keith Law wrote earlier this week that Cincinnati Reds' star Joey Votto is a fit to bat second.

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The Atlanta Braves announced Monday that right fielder Jason Heyward underwent an appendectomy, suggesting he could miss a week or so. The Braves will miss his presence in the lineup in the short-term, despite a poor start statistically. Who who will take his place in the lineup?

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Juan Francisco will have to make way for the National League’s leading hitter.

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The Atlanta Braves saw their 10-game winning streak end Wednesday afternoon with a 1-0 loss to the Royals, but there was some progress to report on first baseman Freddie Freeman.

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The Toronto Blue Jays are exploring options on how to replace the injured Jose Reyes. The Atlanta Braves have a surplus at shortstop.

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Rookie Evan Gattis made the Atlanta Braves out of spring training in part because veteran backstop Brian McCann is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. But when McCann's ready to come back, what might the Braves do at catcher?

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Last season was a tale of two halves for Mike Minor.

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The Atlanta Braves, tweeted ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney earlier this spring, would like to add a left-handed hitting bench bat. The free agent market bares veterans Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu, but the trade route could be the best resource in March.

One option could be Eric Thames of the Seattle Mariners. The M's have Franklin Gutierrez, Michael Morse and Michael Saunders as sure things with veteran Jason Bay and the out-of-options Casper Wells fighting for the final job. Raul Ibanez is also guaranteed a roster spot, leaving Thames headed for the minors.

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The 2010 First-Year Players Draft has already produced major-league contributors such as Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Drew Pomeranz, Matt Harvey, Chris Sale, Andrelton Simmons, Yasmani Grandal and Drew Smyly, and others have received a cup of coffee and figure into their team's plans even further in 2013 -- such as Texas Rangers IF/OF Mike Olt.

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