The Braves have released utilityman Mat Gamel, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gamel, who was trying to work back from a pair of ACL surgeries, apparently reinjured his knee last week during personal workouts.
Once a highly-regarded prospect, the 28-year-old hooked on with Atlanta when his career never took off in Milwaukee. He has consistently hammered pitching in the upper minors, but never yet had the chance to be a big league regular. Set to become the Brewers first baseman last year, Gamel instead suffered his second ACL tear and missed the year.
porkins
This guy has the worst luck!
Golfweek Admin
Stay on topic?
porkins
Nicely played
Shel K
I don’t get it….?
bhambravesfan
Grady Size more just cracked a rib and strained his oblique laughing at your comment.
Eric 26
Can you imagine being penciled in to be a starter in Major League Baseball only never having a chance due to injuries?
Josh Griswell
I would still have figured the Braves would have kept him in the minors even with a injured knee, I guess it must be a serious setback. I wonder if Gamel will retire?
Ruben_Tomorrow
Doubt it. He would probably develop carpal tunnel syndrome after filling out the paperwork.
Brian Baker
What a shame. This guy was a real talent at the plate. I hope he didn’t tear it again and have to miss the 2014 season, but I’m beginning to wonder if he did. If it was something minor the Braves would have kept him around.
Megan
Brewers should pick him back up let him work it out in the minors and hopefully figure it out, people might call me stupid but I could see him being a chris davis type guy If he could stay healthy
Jim Sinicki 2
You can’t be serious, can you? The guy tore the same ACL two straight times he’s stepped on the field, possibly three now (just guessing since Atlanta immediately released him).
I can’t imagine ANY team looking at gamel in a serious manner right now, or in the near future.
Megan
Not talking about him getting a contract while he’s hurt, can’t just give out money to people….. but when he gets healthy brewers could work out one of those weird contracts where he could get picked up for like nothing let him work it out in the minors, make sure he’s healthy, and find his swing. ……. its honestly something I could see brewers doing…… mat gamel has had so much wrong he’s bound to have something right to happen
Jim Sinicki 2
I’d like to see him get on the field for one workout session without tearing an ACL. Just one
Tigers72
I heard he tore it again.
Chris Leigh
That’s unfortunate. I had high hopes for him as a bench bat this season.
Captain Kangaroo
carlos quentin, brian roberts, kyle blanks, chase utley, and ryan howard each had more AB’s in last season alone than Gamel’s had in the five years since he made it to the bigs.
Daniel Morairity
Where would he go??
daveineg
He wasn’t “set to become the Brewers first baseman last year”. That job belonged to Corey Hart. Hart was thought to be going to miss a month at most. Gamel was in the discussion briefly to be fill in until he got hurt again early in camp. Had Hart been healthy, Gamel would have had to fight for a bench job. The only year he went in as regular was in 2012, but blew out his knee less than 6 weeks in. On the play he got hurt, Gamel was going full steam with back to home down the RF line in Dodger stadium, and tried to pull up too late to avoid the low railing down the RF corner. It was not a real smart play on his part to put his body on the line like that for a foul ball but I think he was sensitive about the talk earlier in his career about being on the laid back side.
Shel K
Matt gamel, meet Ian Stewart – you two will have a lot to talk about.