Six Mudcats on DL following bus accident

Braves No. 16 prospect Dustin Peterson was among three players added to the disabled list by the Carolina Mudcats on Friday, bringing the number of injured to six in the wake of Tuesday's accident involving the team bus.

Atlanta also placed right-hander Dave Peterson and infielder Jacob Schrader on the Carolina League DL, a day after Braves No. 3 prospect Lucas Sims -- who leads the team with 25 strikeouts -- went on the DL along with fellow right-handers Tyler Brosius and Andrew Thurman.

The Mudcats did not say whether the injuries were directly related to the accident, which occurred early Tuesday morning in Columbus County, North Carolina. Seven players and the team's athletic trainer, Joe Toenjes, were hospitalized and later released after the team bus skidded and flipped on its right side on Clarendon Chadbourn Road. The accident reportedly occurred around 3:45 a.m.

Brosuis suffered a concussion, according to WRAL.com, which reported another unidentified player had a dislocated finger.

"About 20 seconds after I walked out of the bathroom, I was standing on some seats, and the next thing I know, I was thrown to the side and we stop moving," Sims told WRAL.com. "Just constant chaos broke out."

"We feel very fortunate with the outcome, given the circumstances," Braves assistant director of player development Jonathan Schuerholz told MLB.com on Wednesday, before any players had been placed on the DL. "When you see and hear what happened, it obviously could have been much worse.

"There were a lot of scrapes, bumps, bruises and headaches. We are still evaluating how long some of the players will be sidelined."

Carolina had been traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a three-game series, which was postponed by the league.

The bus driver, 52-year-old Janice Coffman of Vinton, Virginia, was given a speeding ticket by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, according to The News & Observer. The website reported that Coffman, operating the bus for Abbott Bus Lines, Inc., "failed to make a curve on Clarendon Chadbourn Road, hit a ditch and pitched onto its side." The bus had been carrying 33 members and employees of the team.

According to MLB.com, Carolina infielder Reed Harper managed to escape by climbing through an emergency exit "and began helping other players off the bus. Catcher Joe Odum alertly dialed 911 while also helping some of his teammates exit the wreckage."

"The first thing that kind of woke me up was when we went off the road, and then it was all kind of quick," Odom told WRL.com. "I remember kind of coming to, and my back was on the actual ground, which was the window and now it's the floor."

"The players did a great job," Mudcats broadcaster Greg Young told MLB.com. "They all quickly accounted for whoever they were sitting next to and made sure they were OK. We were all grateful once it was apparent that no one had suffered a significant injury."

Carolina League president John Hopkins said the circuit would reschedule the games with Myrtle Beach at a later date.

Sims, who turned 21 on Sunday, is 2-3 with a 5.20 ERA in six starts, while Brosuis is 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA in five outings. David Peterson has appeared in 10 games out of the bullpen, striking out 10 over 16 innings, and Thurman -- a 2013 second-round pick -- is 4-2 with a 2.51 ERA in six outings.

Schrader is batting .333 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 20 games and Dustin Peterson, the younger brother of Mariners prospect D.J. Peterson, is hitting .314 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 30 games.

The Braves promoted right-handers Sean Furney, Brandon Barker and Jorge Zavala from Class A Rome to fill the roster in Carolina. Outfielder Keith Curcio was moved up from Rome on Thursday.

Good to hear no serious injuries in bus crash involving @Braves' @CarolinaMudcats this morning http://t.co/TN6ZAsiDqe pic.twitter.com/Kd76gEENmC

- MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 12, 2015