Atlanta Braves Morning Chop…Freeman; I Bet Not
Jun 8, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder
Justin Upton(10) talks to Atlanta Braves first baseman
Freddie Freeman
(5) before a game at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Freeman’s wrist injury more serious than Braves expected, July return uncertain
FOX SPORTS STAFF REPORT / JULY 16
The Atlanta Braves were hoping to have power-hitting first baseman Freddie Freeman back in the lineup by the end of July, but now they’re wavering on pinpointing his return date.
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“It’s more serious than we expected,” president of baseball operations John Hart told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m hoping he’ll be back before the first of August but he may not be.”
Freeman and the Braves were initially optimistic that he would return a few days after receiving a platelet-rich plasma and cortisone injections on his injured right wrist, but he has been out for a month now, last playing in a game on June 17.
“He’s working hard to get back but it’s a slow-healing injury and it still gives him pain when he swings,” Hart said. “… We gave him an injection and thought he would be back in two or three days but it was no better. We did further tests and found it was more serious than we thought.”
[ Ed. note: This team has been having difficulty scoring runs without Freeman, and the hope – obviously – was that a month off was going to be enough to get him back onto the field to bolster the offense. That’s not going to happen any time soon, it would seem.
This news has several possible implications, including the chance of making the General Manager brain trust more likely to turn the Braves into ‘sellers’ in the next two weeks… a time that corresponds to a rocky schedule with games vs. the Cubs, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Orioles.
Buckle up, fans… it’s gonna be a bumpy ride for a while. ]
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