Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman will no longer have the longest active streak of games played in the majors when he sits out Thursday because of a right wrist sprain.
Freeman said he suffered the injury while taking a swing on Saturday at the Mets. He’d been in the lineup since then but aggravated the injury on Wednesday against the Red Sox and left the game after six innings.
Freeman received an injection from team physician Gary M. Lourie, a hand specialist, and said he hopes to return to the lineup on Friday against the Mets.
Freeman has played in 234 consecutive games going back to Sept. 24, 2013. He had his majors-high consecutive starts streak snapped at 217 games on May 31 at the Giants but entered that game as a late-inning substitute and has started every game since.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he told Freeman he would allow him to keep playing as long as he didn’t see evidence that the wrist was bothering him.
“Today was worse,” Gonzalez said. “We had our hand specialist here and he saw him. Hopefully it calms down and we get him back in the lineup.”
Freeman said he had hoped to keep playing until Sunday and then get an injection before the team’s off day on Monday.
“I’m kind of stubborn in that area,” he said.
