Atlanta Braves may have lost 2 catchers in 1 inning on Saturday
Injuries are part of the game, but this spate of bad luck could impact the Atlanta Braves for a few days… at least.
He’s not exactly known for being fleet-a-foot, but it’s clear that Brian McCann is giving everything he has for his Atlanta Braves this year.
On Saturday evening against the Miami Marlins, though, the performance of his legs failed to live up to the desire in his heart.
It was in the bottom of the 4th inning when McCann followed an opening walk to Johan Camargo with a clean single through what seemed like a whole shelf of gloves – beating the shift that he faces on a constant basis.
Dansby Swanson then dropped a hit in front of the outfielders (scoring Camargo), which may have started the problem that came shortly thereafter.
McCann had to hold up for a moment to determine whether the ball would be caught, causing him to bolt – relatively speaking – to second base once he saw it fall.
Kyle Wright then dropped a bunt down. In point of fact, you’d have to say it was an excellent effort by Wright… but there just wasn’t going to be any kind of bunt that would advance McCann successfully tonight.
About 50 feet along the trek to third base, Brian’s gait changed. He was noticeably slower on arrival – too late to beat the force play.
On getting up, though, McCann immediately grabbed at his leg in the area of his right hamstring. He exited the field under his own power, but was replaced by Tyler Flowers as Atlanta returned to the field to begin the 5th.
The injury report came a bit later.
Brian McCann was removed from tonight’s game with a right hamstring strain.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 7, 2019
That may not be all
The very next inning – bottom of the 5th now – Tyler Flowers was hit by a pitch (again). This was a 98 mph fastball out of the hand of Tayron Guerrero.
If you follow the Braves at all, you’d realize that this is hardly unusual, as Flowers tends to crowd the plate, but now it’s suddenly a concern given McCann’s injury.
The pitch appeared to catch Flowers on the ‘meat’ part of his right (throwing) hand, just above the spot where you’d mark the end of the hand and the start of the wrist.
That will bruise, at least… and the video feed seemed to show it already starting. The Braves training staff taped up the hand snugly – probably in an effort just to get him through the game and avoid having Charlie Culberson – the ’emergency’ catcher – see any significant time in harness.
The injury was noticeably bothering him during later ABs in the game… and it impacted 9th inning strategy on both sides, too… Miami forced the Braves to pinch hit Culberson with the game on the line.
The question will be whether the hand balloons up overnight and into Sunday.
It already seems likely that the Atlanta Braves will have to call upon Raffy Lopez to join them on Sunday… but depending on Flowers’ ability to use that hand, there’s at least a fair chance that Alex Jackson might have to be called up as well just to make sure that they have 2 able-bodied backstops on hand.
UPDATE: Actually it’s going to be the other way ’round… for now:
Snit said Alex Jackson will be here tomorrow to take McCann’s roster spot. They will continue to evaluate X-rays of Flowers’ hand. Initial results did not show a fracture.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 7, 2019
Right now, I’d have to put the odds of needing both catchers at 75%.
Next. The Donaldson Diagnosis. dark
Even as the news from rehabbing pitchers has been good coming from Gwinnett, it’s catchers – plural – that might see time in Atlanta before either Mike Foltynewicz or Mike Soroka.