Braves catcher Gerald Laird said he’s available to play a day after he left the game at Colorado after taking a bat to the face on Corey Dickerson’s backswing.
Laird fell face first in the dirt and had to be helped off the field by Braves head trainer Jeff Porter but later passed a concussion test. Evan Gattis is in the lineup at catcher Friday night against the Angels but Laird told Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez he’s ready for duty if needed.
“I’ve gotten hit in the chin a few times before but not that good,” Laird said. “It hit the mask first, thank God, and it took off the mask and kind of hit me in the jaw. It’s a little bruised and a little sore but, other than that, I feel fine.”
Gonzalez said Laird was set to visit with doctors again later Friday but believes the Braves “dodged a bullet” because Laird didn’t suffer a concussion or otherwise need to go on the disabled list. Utility man Ryan Doumit has started two games at catcher this season.
Laird took a foul ball to the mask two pitches before getting hit with Dickeron’s bat. He said those type of plays illustrate why the focus on catcher injuries on home-plate collisions is misguided.
“We are all worried about the home-plate play running over the catcher, when that happens once or twice a year to a catcher,” he said. “This kind of stuff happens all the time. Sometimes the ball coming off the bat, it’s going to get you good, especially one on the chin.
“Basically it’s one of those plays where I called a slider down inside on a lefty and you’ve got to get down in there (closer to the batter). It’s just part of the game. I’m just glad I’m good to go the next day and there’s no DL stint.”
Laird added that he’s not considering changing to the hockey-style masks that offer more protection than standard masks. He said he put on a hockey-style mask before but didn’t like the feel.
Laird said the trade-off for the extra protection provided by hockey-style masks is that they don’t absorb as much impact from blows as the old-school masks.
“It’s one of those things where I’m not going to change (masks) because of one little thing,” he said. “When you become a catcher it’s one of those things you sign up for.”
About the Author
