Chipper leaves WBC game with strained oblique

Chipper Jones left Sunday night’s World Baseball Classic game between the U.S. and Venezuela with a mild oblique strain, but he told his agent afterward it wasn’t serious and he thought he’d be OK by Wednesday.

The U.S team plays its final game of the first round Wednesday but advanced to the WBC’s second round in Miami by virtue of a 15-6 win over Venezuela on Sunday night.

“He said he felt something pull a little, but he is doing fine,” said Jones’ agent B.B. Abbott, who attended Sunday’s game in Toronto. “He said he doesn’t plan on going home, but I assume Team USA will talk to the Braves. They obviously want to be very, very careful.”

Jones apparently injured it stretching to field a ground ball. He had one more at-bat after that play, grounding out. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.

He was seen in the dugout in later innings, smiling and talking to U.S. teammates.

Jones will be reevaluated Monday.

Jones has had oblique problems in the past, making two stints on the disabled list in 2006 with a left oblique strain. This injury was reportedly to his right oblique.

Jones has struggled at the plate in the two U.S. games, going 0-4 with three strikeouts in the first game against Canada. He was 0-for-3 including two strikeouts on Sunday night against Venezuela.