For the last year, Bruce Chen has been the talk of baseball; his stellar stats, minor league wizardry, and top prospect status have put his name at the top of the list of baseball's brightest youngsters. But on March 29, the unthinkable happened; he was optioned to Richmond and fellow wunderkind Odaliz Perez took over the spot as Atlanta's fifth starter.
Chen's spring was below mediocre; he finished with an ERA of 6.00 and a record of 1-2. His strikeouts still topped his walk totals (14-12), but the Panamanian rookie gave up 23 hits in 18 innings.
This is only a minor setback for Chen; he is 3-0 at Richmond with an ERA of 1.00. He threw six no-hit innings in Monday's game. As Chen carries the R-Braves on his shoulders, Atlanta's Kevin Millwood is struggling. It may only be a matter of time before Bruce regains his spot as an Atlanta Braves starter.
