The Braves had hoped a few more days’ rest would help Ramiro Pena’s sore right shoulder, but they placed him on the disabled Friday and recalled shortstop Paul Janish from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Pena did not make the trip with Milwaukee. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Pena was seeking a second opinion. Pena had surgery on the shoulder seven years ago as a minor leaguer with the Yankees. The Braves are hopeful he can avoid surgery this time.
“We haven’t gotten all the tests in yet,” Gonzalez said. “Hopefully it’s just soreness and nothing more than that.”
Pena said recently his shoulder started bothering him about a month ago and he aggravated it on a check swing in Los Angeles. Pena said it didn’t bother him at the plate but continued to give him problems throwing. He had arthroscopic surgery to repair his labrum as a minor leaguer with the Yankees.
Pena has been the Braves primary backup infielder and provided an offensive lift not many saw coming. After hitting .233 over four seasons of sparse work with the Yankees, Pena is hitting .278 (27-for-97) with five doubles, one triple, three home runs and 12 RBIs in 50 games as a Brave. He hadn’t played in a game since Sunday night against the Giants when he went 1-for-4 with a line drive single in a start at second base.
Janish rejoins the Braves for the first time since last September when as the primary backup to Andrelton Simmons, he suffered a shoulder injury. He underwent offseason surgery. He was hitting .207 (28-for-135) in 41 games at shortstop for Gwinnett. He can play shortstop, second base or third base.
The Braves acquired Janish last year in a July trade from the Reds when Simmons fractured a bone in his right hand.
