Chipper, Anderson miss game with injuries

Philadelphia — The Braves’ first bad news Wednesday came hours before their bullpen meltdown, when third baseman Chipper Jones (bruised thumb) and left fielder Garret Anderson (calf strain) were scratched from the lineup before the series-ending loss against the Phillies.

Jones, who had two hits, including a homer, in Tuesday’s victory, believes he’ll be ready to play in the home opener Friday against the Washington Nationals at Turner Field.

“We’ve got a day off tomorrow; we don’t play again until Friday night, so [with] a couple of days of treatment I should be OK by Friday.”

Anderson, who missed much of spring training with a strained right calf, felt a twinge in the same area while running before Wednesday’s game. He was scratched about 30 minutes before the first pitch and is questionable for the weekend series with the Nationals.

“Maybe a couple of days will calm it down a little bit,” said Anderson, who struck out as a pinch-hitter to end the game.

Jones, who had dark bruising on his thumb, index finger and hand near the base of the digits, said he was initially hurt when jammed by an inside pitch a week ago in the Braves’ final spring-training game in Florida and saw it worsen after a couple of similar pitches since then in cold weather.

“It’s pretty bad,” he said. “I tried to hit today [before the game] and wasn’t much good.”

Omar Infante replaced Jones at third base, and Matt Diaz replaced Anderson in left field, with Infante leading off and Diaz hitting seventh. Diaz homered in the ninth inning of the 12-11 loss.

Jones had four hits in two wins to start the series, including a double and a homer Tuesday night against left-hander Jamie Moyer.

“I’ve been dealing with it for about a week,” the switch-hitter said. “It’s not terrible right-handed, but left-handed, when you bury the bat right there in that crease [between thumb and finger], it’s tough. I have very little top hand left-handed right now.”

He was confident that there was no ligament damage or anything more serious than bruising.

“I’m just having trouble with my grip strength,” he said. “I can’t bury the bat in my hand. I’ve got no top hand [strength], which causes my bat to drag. I’m not going to be able to get to anything, and I’m probably gonna end up, especially on a cold day like today, getting jammed again.

“I would prefer to get it behind me by Friday.”

Jones has played fewer than 140 games in each of the past five seasons because of injuries.

A week ago, he signed a three-year, $42 million contract extension through 2012.

The deal includes a $3 million signing bonus and salaries of $13 million each season during 2010-12, with a $9 million option for 2013 that vests if he plays 123 games in 2012 or averages 127 games in 2011-12.

He could earn an additional $1.5 million each season in incentives tied to games played — $750,000 for 135 games, $750,000 for 140 — and up to $4 million in escalators for the option year.

Jones entered this season with a .310 career average and 408 homers, the only switch-hitter in history with at least a .300 average and 300 homers. He hit his 409th homer Tuesday.