Braves give Danks a shot to revive career

ATLANTA -- Courtesy of a Minor League contract and Spring Training invite, the Braves will give John Danks a chance to resuscitate his once-promising, injury-plagued career.
Danks' career has spiraled in the wrong direction since he underwent left shoulder surgery in 2012, and he did not pitch after the White Sox released him just four starts into this past season.
But the Braves are willing to take a chance on the 31-year-old southpaw, who could at least provide some veteran guidance within a Triple-A Gwinnett rotation that might include both Matt Wisler and Aaron Blair.
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As things currently stand, Atlanta will likely enter 2017 with a rotation that consists of Julio Teheran, Jaime García, Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey and Mike Foltynewicz. Josh Collmenter, Wisler, Blair and Danks will come to camp hoping to land one of these rotation spots.
There is also a chance that Collmenter or Danks could open the season as Atlanta's long reliever.
Danks allowed at least five earned runs in three of the four starts he made before the White Sox released him with a 7.65 ERA and .965 opponents OPS in May. The decision to part ways likely had more to do with the fact the veteran southpaw also compiled a 4.73 ERA over the 84 starts made from 2013-15.
When Danks produced a 3.77 ERA over the 124 starts made for the White Sox from 2008-11, his average fastball velocity was between 90.4-91.6 mph. His average velocity dipped below 90 mph after the 2012 shoulder surgery and bottomed out at 87.1 mph during the four starts this year.