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 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 by Gonzalez and a team trainer.
On Wednesday morning, 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…. I don’t want to go to the DL. I want to pitch and help the team. That’s it.”
Avilan said he would be more careful about what he drinks before and during games, and go 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 had not allowed any of 14 inherited runners to score before one did in the ninth inning Tuesday after closer Craig Kimbrel replaced Avilan.
Avilan has shown a penchant for handling pressure situations, getting big outs with runners on base against the likes of Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard. With runners in scoring position, hitters are 7-for-46 (.152) against him in his career.
In the late innings of close games, hitters are 2-for-15 (.133) against him with no walks and six strikeouts.
