CHICAGO – Freddie Freeman returned to the Braves lineup Saturday after missing two starts for a jammed thumb, while Jason Heyward took one more precautionary rest day and expected to play in Sunday's series finale against the White Sox.
It’s been 10 days since Heyward strained his right hamstring sliding into third base in a game against the Reds. The right fielder explained Saturday that he did all activities Friday, including hitting and running, without any difficulties.
“I felt like today I’d be ready to play,” Heyward said. “The mindset going in, as far as trying to stay out for nine (innings)… is that the day I feel like I’m ready to play, give yourself one more day, with a hamstring. So if I feel good today, like I can play, then let Fredi (Gonzalez) know that, hey, I can be a defensive replacement late in the game for you, and tomorrow, let’s go get ‘em.
“Of course, (that’s) barring any setbacks today. But I don’t feel like I’ll have any.”
Heyward has missed five starts since the injury, including the last three games before the All-Star break and first two games of the White Sox series.
“My understanding was that he needed another day,” said Gonzalez, who never had Heyward in the lineup Saturday, after discussing the situation with head trainer Jeff Porter late Friday. “He keeps getting better every day, progressing towards playing.”
Freeman missed two starts for the Braves after jamming his left thumb tagging a runner in the next-to-last game before the All-Star break. The injury prevented him from playing in the All-Star game after he won the final spot on the NL team over the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig in a spirited “Final Vote” balloting among fans.
Freeman wore a splint on the thumb for nearly a week before the Braves hand specialist examined him Thursday and cleared him to begin swinging again. After taking batting practice Friday for the first time in a week, Freeman said he was ready to play, but the Braves wanted to make sure he didn’t push it too soon swinging against live pitching.
So he was used as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning Frday, and was promptly run over by 275-pound White Sox slugger Adam Dunn on the first play that Freeman was involved in, a groundout to Dan Uggla. The second baseman made a strong play to field it and his off-balance throw forced Freeman to extend to his right to field it on the bounce.
The movement put him directly behind the base in the path of Dunn, who tried to go around him and ended up kneeing the 240-pound Freeman in the back, sending both players tumbling.
“Of course, the first play I get hit,” said Freeman, who wasn’t hurt on the play, but gave the Braves a scare. “I looked in the dugout and I see (Jeff Porter), and his face is just like he saw a ghost…. It was just one of those plays. I’m right in the baseline. I know I was probably going to probably get hit, but I just had to get that pick after Uggla made a great play to get to it.”
Freeman was asked if he tried to protect his thumb when he fell after the collision.
“No,” he said, “when I’m out there, I’m not even going to think about it. That’s where I’m at right now. I feel great. Obviously it’s not 100 percent, and I don’t think it’s going to be 100 percent. But it’s good enough to play.”
J-Up two hits in return: Justin Upton went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and scored two runs Friday in his first game back, after missing the last two games before the break with a calf injury. Upton was back in the lineup Saturday, in right field for the second day in a row.
Rookie Joey Terdoslavich, after filling in for Freeman at first base Friday, was in Upton’s usual left-field position Saturday.
