Braves 'could be making a run' at Ervin Santana

Another team may be joining the Ervin Santana sweepstakes. According to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta "could be making a run" at the right-hander in wake of potentially serious injuries to starters Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy.

Medlen, who left Sunday's spring training game against the Mets after throwing a pitch and immediately running off the mound, was said by the team to have a right forearm strain at first look. He is having an MRI today, and the results could reveal a more serious injury that would require the Braves to take a hard look at their rotation depth and some available options.

Beachy left today's game with biceps tightness, causing some concern that the Braves could lose both young hurlers for an extended period of time. While Beachy's injury doesn't appear to be very serious at the moment, it is definitely a situation to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Santana, who was reportedly close to making a decision between the Blue Jays and Orioles over the weekend, is looking to sign in the near future after waiting all offseason for the right deal. The Twins reportedly have a three-year, $30-33 offer on the table for him as well, but the two most likely destinations were said to be Baltimore and Toronto before the Braves' injury concerns created needs in their rotation.

Over the next couple of days, the severity of the injuries to Medlen and Beachy will be known, allowing the Braves to look at their rotation and decide whether or not to pursue additions. Santana is the only premium starting pitcher left on the free agent market, followed by some lesser options like Jair Jurrjens, Jason Marquis and Barry Zito. The team is also likely to make some low-risk depth additions on the trade market, such as the acquisition of Zach Stewart from the White Sox earlier today.