Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson was scratched from the lineup Wednesday after scraping his heel on a base in Tuesday’s loss to the Royals.
“He banged his heel on the bag last night, and it was a little sore,” manager Brian Snitker said before Wednesday’s game at SunTrust Park. “So I said, you know what, we have a day off tomorrow, and we can be smart about this and stay in front of it. We give him today and tomorrow, he should be good to go.”
Trainer George Poulis informed Snitker after Tuesday’s game about Swanson’s soreness. He initially was in the lineup before the Braves opted for a more conservative approach.
Swanson is available in an emergency. Snitker said if it was a must-win game or a postseason situation, the 25-year-old would be starting.
“There just wasn’t really a reason to push that,” Snitker said. “You’d just irritate it. So we’ll just try to stay in front of it.”
As Snitker alluded, the Braves expect Swanson back in the lineup Friday, when they begin a six-game trip in Philadelphia. Swanson is in the midst of a breakout offensive season in which he’s hit .265 with 17 homers and 57 RBIs.
