The Braves hoped to have Tyler Flowers back in the lineup Tuesday, but the veteran’s bruised left hand hasn’t responded to treatment as quickly as anticipated and it might be the end of the week before he’s ready.
“They’re all day-to-day, everybody,” manager Brian Snitker said when asked about Flowers and left fielder Matt Kemp, who’s out with a strained hamstring, which has been a recurring issue for Kemp this season.
The tandem of Flowers and Kurt Suzuki has given the Braves robust production from the catching position. Before Tuesday, Braves catchers were second in the majors in OPS (.824) and OBP (.358), third in slugging percentage (.466), fourth in batting average (.275) and RBIs (88) and tied for sixth in home runs (25).
Flowers has made 79 starts at catcher and Suzuki 63, with five other starts made by 28-year-old rookie David Freitas, who was brought up from Triple-A on Aug. 30, and former Brave Anthony Recker, who started one game in April.
Freitas was kept as a third catcher when the Braves outrighted Tony Sanchez to Triple-A last week, and he’s started two of five games since Flowers’ latest injury. He also caught Max Fried’s first major league win
A 15th-round draft pick by the Nationals in 2010, Freitas played 671 minor league games over eight seasons before getting his first cup of coffee in the majors over the past three weeks. The experience has been everything he hoped it would be, and then some.
“Absolutely, it’s been awesome,” said Freitas, who was 4-for-17 with two doubles and two RBIs before Tuesday. “I wouldn’t change this for the world, man. This is awesome, amazing, everything about it.”
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