Joba Chamberlain has lost 15 pounds, has discovered seafood - MLB

As with Prince Fielder, I’m inclined to wait for something more than mere weight loss to declare a Best Shape of His Life. It requires the weight loss along with some declaration — implied or explicit — that superior performance is soon to follow. Or a suggestion that the shape is unprecedented or something. Sure, if it’s dramatic weight loss — as we’re seeing with Pablo Sandoval — I’m inclined to slap a BSOHL on him. But otherwise a fat guy losing a little weight is not, in and of itself, BSOHL material.

But we should at least pay attention. As we are with Joba Chamberlain. Who, in addition to now being able to sport a beard, has lost some poundage. From the Detroit News:

Joba Chamberlain has lost weight (15 pounds) to get in better shape, and seems to have kind of personality fans are going to like.

By the way, to lose the weight, the right-handed reliever become a fish eater after having fish “maybe three times in my life” before his new nutrition program began.

“I’m from Nebraska,” he said. “We don’t have fish in Nebraska.”

Or maybe he just hasn’t looked very hard. And how he avoided good seafood while living in New York and taking multiple road trips to Boston, Baltimore and Tampa each year is beyond me. But let’s not scrutinize this any more than we need to.

NORTH PORT, Fla. — The Atlanta Braves will open the season with two rookie left-handers in their rotation while giving right-hander Kyle Wright more time to prepare for his first start.

Wright was told Sunday he would start the season on the 15-day injured list. He was the only 20-game winner in the majors last season but had a slow start this spring after getting a cortisone shot in January to address a shoulder issue.

Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd, who each have impressed the team this spring while competing for what was believed to have been one spot in the rotation, were told Sunday they will open the season with the team. The Braves optioned Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett on March 14 to clear the path for Shuster and Dodd.

Shuster, 24, was Atlanta’s first-round draft pick in 2020. He is expected to start in the Braves’ third game at Washington on April 2.

Dodd is expected to take the No. 5 spot in the rotation and start on April 4 at St. Louis.

Both rookies have impressed the Braves with good control this spring.

Shuster has posted a 1.45 ERA in five spring training games. He has 18 strikeouts and only four walks in 18 2/3 innings.

Dodd, 24, has a 2.00 ERA in 18 innings this spring, with 20 strikeouts and four walks. He was a third-round draft pick in 2021.

Wright was 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA in his breakout 2022 season.