Peter Moylan
photo by Tim Evearitt
LAKE BUENA VISTA , Fla. -- Peter Moylan defied the odds when he used his stint on Team Australia's 2006 World Baseball Classic roster to land a spot in Atlanta's bullpen just a few weeks later. But if possible, the veteran reliever is facing greater odds as he attempts to make a long climb back to the Majors.
Moylan gained the opportunity on Thursday, when the Braves gave him a Minor League contract. The club hasn't confirmed the deal.
The 34-year-old will report to Minor League camp with the hope that he still has something left after two Tommy John surgeries, multiple back surgeries and a shoulder surgery.
Moylan is approximately 11 months removed from the same Tommy John procedure that he underwent after making just seven appearances for the Braves in 2008. The sidearm reliever returned the next year and made a franchise-record 87 appearances, bettering the career-high total (80) he had posted in '07.
After making 85 appearances in 2010, Moylan missed most of the '11 season while recovering from back surgery. When he returned in September of that same year, he injured his right shoulder and had to have his rotator cuff and labrum surgically repaired.
Moylan, whose witty and outgoing personality made him a fan favorite in Atlanta, has not pitched in the Majors since making 13 appearances for the 2013 Dodgers.
The Braves have discussed the possibility of giving Moylan a chance to serve as a Minor League pitching coach at some point. But for now, they will give him an opportunity to make what would be an improbable comeback.
-- Source: MLB.com