Chipper still bothered by sprained toe

Phoenix — It’s been said that guys like Chipper Jones could roll out of bed and hit.

We’re not sure about that, but we now know the Braves third baseman can limp to the plate and hit.

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AP

Chipper Jones drove in four runs on three hits, including a homer Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

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After he said Sunday morning that he might need downtime if his aching toe doesn’t improve soon, Jones drove in four runs on three hits, including a homer, during the first four innings of Sunday’s 9-3 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Throughout the Arizona series, he had a pronounced limp in the clubhouse. It takes a while for the 37-year-old to get things loosened and tolerable in the right big toe that he sprained on May 21.

“[The pain] is still there,” he said before Sunday’s game. “The one thing that concerns me about it is, the black-and-blue [bruising] is gone, and most of the swelling is gone, but the pain is still there.”

X-rays taken after the injury revealed no break or any other damage beyond a sprain, and Jones was told that an MRI exam wasn’t necessary unless the injury didn’t improve. If it isn’t better in a few more days, an MRI could be administered.

“It’s really hurting,” manager Bobby Cox said. “He can play with it — we hope.”

Jones said if the foot doesn’t improve soon, he would ask for an MRI. “Either that, or I’m gonna have to get off of it,” he said, alluding to the possibility of time on the disabled list to rest.

He missed four starts after spraining the toe, and he returned to the lineup Tuesday at San Francisco. Jones went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts — the first four-strikeout game of his career — on Wednesday against Arizona, including three strikeouts against lefty Randy Johnson.

Because the toe makes it difficult for the switch-hitter to push off his back foot batting right-handed, Jones was out of the lineup Saturday against Arizona lefty Doug Davis.

On Sunday against righty Max Scherzer, Jones hit a pair of RBI singles and a two-run homer in his first three at-bats. The homer was his fifth of the season, and just his second in his past 18 starts.

Jones left the game for a pinch-hitter in the eighth against lefty Dan Schlereth.

Kotchman only bruised

The Braves got a scare when first baseman Casey Kotchman was helped off the field after being hit in the right leg by a pitch in the fourth inning. X-rays were negative, and the diagnosis was a shin contusion.

“He might miss three or four days,” said Cox, who was relieved that nothing was broken.

Kotchman has played outstanding defense and hit .280 with 14 doubles in his past 41 games, with 20 RBI in his past 29 games.

Before Sunday, the Braves led the majors with a .330 average with runners in scoring position and two outs. Kotchman has hit .455 (10-for-22) with 12 RBIs in those situations.

Etc.

Catcher Brian McCann had his first four-walk game Sunday … Matt Diaz started in right field Sunday in place of Jeff Francoeur, the second start Francoeur has missed in 50 games. Cox said he just wanted to rest Francoeur, who has hit .219 with three doubles, no homers and a .234 on-base percentage in his past 27 games.