Glavine Notes: The End of the Line?

Tom Glavine with Myrtle Beach Pelicans, originally uploaded by goirish1990.

Tom has been fortunate enough to have enjoyed a mostly injury free career. When he went down with his elbow injury last year, I saw it as the perfect opportunity for him to step away from the game. I get that he didn't want to be forced out of the game by an injury, but I thought it was in his best interest to quit. Still, once he signed I was hoping for the best. His recent performances provided hope. Despite his near total loss of velocity, he was smart and crafty enough to fool hitters. I don't think anyone thought he had any chance to challenge for a Cy Young award, but I didn't think a 10-15 win year was out of the question. Yesterday, during a game for Atlanta's AA club in Mississippi, Glavine began experiencing some discomfort in his shoulder following an at-bat. He has been scratched from his planned start this weekend and will be replaced by Jo-Jo Reyes. He will visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham on Wednesday. At this point, the severity of the injury isn't known, but Glavine remains optimistic. I can't help but think we've seen him pitch his last game.