Jurrjens made his major league debut in 2007 with the Detroit Tigers. He came to the Braves before the 2008 season in the trade that sent shortstop Edgar Renteria to Detroit. Jurrjens' first two seasons with the Braves were a success. He missed most of 2010 with an injury, but returned in 2011 to have an All-Star year.
2012 was a different story for Jurrjens. He came back from an injury that plagued him at the end of the 2011 season and he just wasn't the same. In his first four starts, he went 0-2 and gave up 17 runs in those games. He was sent to the minors to figure things out. He came back in June and won three of his next four starts and the Braves and their fans thought he was back. His best game in that stretch was against the Boston Red Sox on June 22nd, as he pitched seven and two-thirds innings and gave up one run on three hits.
Unfortunately, Jurrjens wasn't back. On July 17th, he was pitching against the San Francisco Giants and lasted only three innings while giving up eight runs on eight hits. His next start was July 22nd against the Washington Nationals, and it was even worse than the Giants' game. He lasted only two innings and gave up six runs on nine hits. Jurrjens was then demoted to the bullpen where he made only one relief appearance. After that appearance, the Braves said he was injured and he never pitched again during the year for Atlanta. He finished the year with a 3-4 record, a 6.89 ERA and only 19 strikeouts.
Jurrjens' time in Atlanta is most likely over. He is not a reliable starter anymore and has fallen out of favor with the Braves, especially after the emergence of Kris Medlen and Mike Minor. Look for Jurrjens to be pitching somewhere else next year, or even be in the minor leagues once again, trying to find his old self.
Jair Jurrjens was once a dominant force in the Braves' rotation, but now he is just an expendable player in the Braves' system.
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