Braves broadcaster Joe Simpson underwent Achilles surgery on Tuesday morning and will be out of the broadcast booth for at least 10 days, his broadcast partner Chip Caray said.
“He’s already back home, doing great,” Caray said, before going on the air Tuesday night. “It’s a shame he got hurt with us goofing around playing basketball. I know he’ll follow the team and John and Paul will do a great job in his place.”
John Smoltz got his first “pinch hit” appearance on the Braves broadcast Tuesday night, filling in as the color analyst, which he’ll also do Wednesday for the Phillies series finale.
Paul Byrd is going to fill in for Simpson for the first seven games of the upcoming road trip in Washington and Houston. Simpson was hoping to rejoin the broadcast team in Philadelphia but will await word from his doctors.
In the meantime, Simpson’s broadcast buddies had some fun with him, in his absence Tuesday night. Tim Hart said in one of the early segments of the broadcast that the Braves were going to try to “win one for the limper.”
