Schafer to have surgery on ailing wrist

By CARROLL ROGERS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves minor league center fielder Jordan Schafer expects to have surgery on the left wrist that has been ailing him since April.

Schafer learned on Tuesday during a visit to Braves hand specialist Dr. Gary Lourie that the conservative route was not working. An X-ray on his wrist revealed a bone spur, and Schafer said he is scheduled to have surgery on Monday.

Schafer is also scheduled to have an MRI today, which the Braves said will be used to make a final determination whether he needs the surgery.

“Surgery is an option,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said. “We’re not to the point where it’s been absolutely determined.”

Schafer is going on the assumption that he will, though, and that the surgery will keep him out of action for three months. Schafer said he might still try to play winter ball if he recovers quickly enough from surgery.

Schafer had worn a cast on his wrist for a month, in an effort to let it heal without surgery. But he tested it swinging in batting practice with Class AAA Gwinnett and continued to feel discomfort.

“It didn’t hurt hitting off the tee,” Schafer said. “I could feel it a little bit doing soft toss. As soon as I hit bp and there was any force behind the ball, especially if the ball was in, it hurt really bad. I just can’t keep on trying to swing with it like that.”

Schafer first hurt his wrist swinging in the Braves home-opener against the Nationals on April 10, four games into his major league career. Schafer, who had homered in his first major league at-bat and hit two home runs in his first major league series against the Phillies, tried to play through the injury and watched his batting average steadily decline.

Schafer, who had beat out Josh Anderson for the center field job in spring training, hit .204 in 50 games for the Braves, with two home runs and eight RBIs. He struck out 63 times in 167 at-bats. The former top prospect was sent down to Gwinnett on June 2, the day before the Braves traded for center fielder Nate McLouth from the Pirates.

“When I look back on it, I feel bad because maybe I hurt the team because I tried to play with it not being 100 percent,” Schafer said. “But at the same time, I can’t really blame myself, my first time in the big leagues. I wanted to do everything to play.”

How Schafer will fit into the Braves picture going forward is something he said he can’t worry about now — whether he’ll need another year of seasoning in Class AAA or have a chance to compete for an outfield spot with the Braves next season.

“My biggest thing right now is just to get healthy so I can play the way I know I can play,” said Schafer, 22. “I have no doubts about my ability. I don’t second-guess myself. When I was healthy, I know what I could do. It’s just a matter of getting healthy now.”

Wren said this injury hasn’t changed how the Braves feel about Schafer and the promise he has.

“It’s unfortunate,” Wren said. “It’s been a difficult season for him. He’s still a young guy that we have high hopes for; this shouldn’t change anything. It just delays it some.”

Staff writer David O’Brien contributed information to this report.