OAKLAND – Hot-hitting Braves first baseman Matt Adams was out of the lineup for Friday night’s series opener against the Athletics with a left-foot contusion after fouling a ball off the night before in San Diego.
The good news was that it didn’t stiffen or otherwise worsen overnight.
“It definitely doesn’t feel good,” said Adams, seated at his locker Thursday Friday afternoon in the visitor’s clubhouse at Oakland Coliseum, between rounds of treatment. “But it’s not worse than last night, which is a good sign. X-rays came back good and just taking it day by day.”
He was X-rayed after coming out of a series finale against the Padres in the second inning Thursday. X-rays were negative and the Braves hope he’ll respond well enough to treatment to be able to play this weekend in one or both of the remaining games in a three-game series against the Athletics.
Since arriving from St. Louis in a trade to fill in for injured first baseman Freddie Freeman, Adams had started 37 of 38 games at first base including 27 in a row before Friday. He had a .294 average with 12 homers, 31 RBIs and a robust .962 OPS in 37 games for the Braves and half of his 42 hits were for extra bases.
Since his May 21 debut for Atlanta, Adams was tied for third in the majors in home runs and tied for seventh in RBIs before Friday. He’s been so good that Freeman decided to switch to third base when he returns from the disabled list (which could be as soon as Thursday) in order to allow Adams to stay in the lineup at first base.
Freeman begins an injury-rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday at Charlotte, when he’ll play third base for the first time in a game since playing the position for five games in rookie ball in 2007.
The Braves are off Monday, then play two home games against the Astros before going to Washington for a four-game series July 6-9 against the Nationals that takes them to the All-Star break. Freeman will join them either during the Nationals series or during the July 14-19 homestand after the break.
