The Braves placed left-hander Eric O’Flaherty on the 10-day disabled list Saturday because of tightness in his lower back.
O’Flaherty last made a relief appearance Wednesday against the Blue Jays at SunTrust Park. He said he believes he aggravated his back while running on the turf field at Toronto when the Braves played games there Monday and Tuesday
“I probably should have been more cautious doing the regular (pregame) running,” he said. “It kind of crept up. It was a little irritated the last three days, and then last night it finally kind of grabbed and was too much. I’ll be down for a few days, and then I’ll be back.”
To take O’Flaherty’s spot on the roster, the Braves recalled right-hander Luke Jackson from Triple-A Gwinnett.
O’Flaherty has pitched 13 2/3 innings over 18 appearances this season. He’s posted a 6.59 ERA with nine strikeouts, six walks and 13 hits allowed.
O’Flaherty pitched one inning against the Blue Jays on Wednesday and allowed a solo home run to Jose Bautista.
“It locked up on him during the game,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s something he fights all the time, and it’s amazing to me how diligent (he works). I don’t want him to go out there and try to throw if he’s not healthy.”
O’Flahery was a top reliever for the Braves from 2009 until undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2013. After stints with the Athletics and Mets, O’Flaherty re-signed with the Braves in 2016 and made 39 appearances with a 6.91 ERA before an elbow injury ended his season.
The Braves re-signed O’Flahery to a minor league deal in December, and he made the big-league roster out of spring training.
