After Braves reliever Luis Avilan crumpled to the ground in the ninth inning Tuesday, manager Fredi Gonzalez said he expected the worst from the hamstring injury that felled him.
Gonzalez and others were pleasantly surprised when the injury turned out to be cramping and a strain of the left hamstring, rather than a severe strain or torn muscle. General manager Frank Wren said the talented rookie probably would not require a stint on the 15-day disabled list.
That’s potentially big news for a Braves team already missing lefty reliever Jonny Venters, who hurt his left elbow in the final week of spring training and isn’t expected back before late May.
Without Avilan, Eric O’Flaherty would be the only lefty in their top-rated bullpen. O’Flaherty is their best setup man, rather than a situational lefty typically brought in to face left-handed hitters.
Against Avilan, left-handed batters are 9-for-57 (.158) in his career, with two extra-base hits, six walks and 21 strikeouts. That includes 0-for-7 this season.
Avilan couldn’t put any weight on the leg and had to be helped off the field after he fell while beginning his throwing motion with a 2-2 count against Kansas City’s Billy Butler. He still had the ball in his pitching hand as he fell off the mound, in obvious pain. He had to be helped off the field.
On Wednesday, Avilan still walked gingerly and had trouble getting into his uniform. But he said the leg was much improved after 12 hours and that the strength in the muscle was good when he was tested Wednesday.
“I hope I don’t have to go to the DL because it’s better now,” he said. “Way better now. So probably in two days I’m going to be fine.”
Avilan said he would be more careful about what he drinks before and during games, going with water or electrolyte-replacement drinks rather than the energy drink he’s been accustomed to drinking.
“I always drink Red Bull,” he said, “and that was the first question they had — ‘Did you drink Red Bull today?’ I said yes. They said, ‘That’s a problem.’”
The 22-year-old Venezuelan has emerged as a key member of a bullpen that didn’t allow any of 14 inherited runners to score before one did in the ninth inning Tuesday after closer Craig Kimbrel replaced Avilan.
With runners in scoring position, hitters are 7-for-46 (.152) against Avilan in his career.
McCann has sore wrist: Brian McCann's preparations for a injury-rehab assignment have been delayed at least a day or two by a sore right wrist, which general manager Frank Wren said was unrelated to his Oct. 16 shoulder surgery.
The former All-Star catcher has been working out and hitting — not catching or running the bases — in extended-spring training games in Florida, leading to the six-month anniversary of surgery, at which point he hoped to be cleared for full game action.
But after soreness developed in his wrist, he returned to Atlanta on Tuesday and was examined by a Braves specialist. No structural problems were found, and the soreness was believed to be from the increased rehab workload in recent weeks.
McCann returned to Florida and was to work out Wednesday and would see how the wrist felt. If he has no more setbacks, he could play extended-spring games by the end of the week in preparation for a Triple-A rehab assignment
Freeman could come off DL on Monday: First baseman Freddie Freeman is set to play three injury-rehab games for Triple-A Gwinnett this weekend and could rejoin the Braves on Monday in Colorado.
On the 15-day disabled list recovering from a strained oblique muscle, Freeman will take batting practice and infield with Gwinnett before its home game Thursday, and if he has no problems he’ll travel to Charlotte, N.C., with the team to play a three-game weekend series. He’s eligible to come off the DL on Monday.
The Braves have a four-game series at Pittsburgh through Sunday, then three games at Colorado and three at Detroit.
“If everything goes well, I’ll fly to Denver on Monday,” Freeman said.
It was in Denver where his vision problems arose last season in early May. He couldn’t keep his eyes moist in windy conditions in low humidity at high altitude and had difficulties for months afterward. Freeman is wearing contacts and clear, non-prescription glasses to keep out irritants.
“Let’s just hope that’s a good place to hit and my eyes stay good,” he said.
Upton's eighth: Justin Upton's majors-leading eighth homer Tuesday in the Braves' 13th game is the fewest games needed in a season in franchise history for a player to reach eight. Three others did it in 16 team games: Eddie Mathews, Chipper Jones, and Andruw Jones. With Arizona in 2012, Upton hit his eighth homer July 20, in his 87th game and the team's 93rd game.
