Chuck James

James was diagnosed with a slight tear in his rotator cuff after the end of the 2007 season. He decided to pitch with the injury in 2008 rather than have surgery. The results were ugly in the majors, but he continued to have a good strikeout rate with mediocre control at Triple-A. He had surgery to repair the tear in his rotator cuff and some fraying of the labrum in September and will likely be out until the second half of 2009, though it's unclear if he'll try to return with Atlanta after the Braves non-tendered him during the winter.

James had a disappointing sophomore season after a strong rookie debut. He faded in the second half with a 4.67 ERA while dealing with a sore throwing shoulder. While he strikes out batters at a good rate (7.9 per nine innings last season), he doesn’t have the best control and gives up too many home runs. He'll start the season as the No. 4 starter for the Braves, but don't expect a big improvement until he can keep the ball in the park.

James has cemented his spot in the Atlanta rotation after a strong performance in his first full season in the majors. Despite throwing few innings in the high minors, James was moved into the Atlanta rotation in May and went 11-4 with a 3.93 ERA as a starter with a robust 85 strikeouts in 108.2 innings. While we'd like to see him have a little better control, it's hard to argue with his success in the minors and so far in the majors. He could climb to become Atlanta's second-best starter behind John Smoltz as a result.

James rose from High-A Myrtle Beach to the majors last season with a 2.12 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 161 1/3 innings over three levels. While he may be Atlanta's top pitching prospect, the Braves may want to see him start the season at Triple-A or in the bullpen given his lack of experience in the high minors. Still, he may get an opportunity to join the rotation if a spot opens up, so he's a solid reserve pick.

James posted a good year at Low-A Rome, overcoming any health issues he may have had after a non-baseball accident in 2002 in which he broke both wrists, which limited his workload in 2003. Nevertheless, he raised doubts about his composure after an off-field incident at a minor league all-star game, which canceled his promotion to high Single-A Myrtle Beach and led to a brief suspension. If he can show he's overcome off-field issues, a strong year at Myrtle Beach could see him move quickly up the Braves system.

A 20th round pick in 2002, James didn’t make his pro debut until the summer of 2003 because he broke both his wrists in non-baseball related incident. The left-hander works at 90 mph with his fastball but moves it around with his change up and slider. The change up could develop to a plus-plus pitch, and his 2003 rookie league debut was dominating in 50 and a third innings. He’ll begin 2004 at low Single-A Rome. Old for the level, he’ll probably advance quickly through the system to Double-A where we’ll have a better read on his prospects.