El Oso Blanco is out of action.
Braves rookie slugger Evan Gattis was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique muscle, an injury he sustained on a swing in the seventh inning of Monday’s 2-1 win against the Mets, which ended at 1:22 a.m. due to lengthy rain delay before the first pitch.
“It was just an awkward swing on a slider,” Gattis said Tuesday morning. “I was trying to check the swing and just grabbed me on right side, my right oblique. I didn’t think I could hit again. Catching I was loose, warm, and adrenaline and everything going. I just didn’t think I could swing again.”
Gattis didn’t try to swing again. He struck out looking in that seventh-inning at-bat, then caught the eighth and ninth innings. Catcher Brian McCann was on-deck ready to hit for him in the ninth when Freddie Freeman hit a game-ending two-run homer.
“This morning waking up, I’m glad I didn’t (swing again),” he said, “just because the way it felt this morning — it was a lot more sore today.”
The Braves recalled infielder Tyler Pastornicky from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Gattis’ roster spot, and Pastornicky was suited up for Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Mets.
Gattis, whose nickname is El Oso Blanco (“the White Bear”), has become a Paul Bunyan-esque folk hero in his first major league season, batting .252 and leading major league rookie by wide margins in home runs (14) and RBIs (37). He’s played some in left field and first base in addition to catching, and as pinch-hitter, he’s a remarkable 6-for-8 with a double, four homers and 11 RBIs.
There had been some speculation that Gattis might be asked to participate in the Home Run Derby during the All-Star festivities next month in Kansas City, but this injury would presumably end any chance of that happening.
Gattis said he hoped to be back as soon as the 15-day DL stint is up.
“I hope to do whatever I can to get out there as soon as I can,” he said.
In his past 11 games, Gattis was 2-for-26 (.077), albeit with two big home runs and five RBIs.
The Braves still have two catchers on their roster with McCann and veteran backup Gerald Laird, but losing Gattis for a while means that manager Fredi Gonzalez won’t be able to pinch-hit with one of his catchers without risking losing the other to an injury later in a game.
“Yeah, you’re going to miss that,” Gonzalez said. “You’re going to miss that with him or McCann, that flexibility you have with three catchers. We’re hoping it’s kind of like Freddie Freeman (who had a strained oblique in April), that we caught it early enough to kind of calm that down and in 15 days he’ll be ready to go. From what (trainer Jeff Porter) tells me, if you’re a right-handed hitter the right side is better than the left side, it’s not as severe.”
Laird said injuries like the one Gattis sustained seem to happen more frequently after extended delays like Monday’s.
“You sit for a while, you play four hours later and they tell you in 10 minutes the game’s starting,” he said. “But it’s one of those things. He’s going to be fine. It just sucks because he’s such a huge contributor to our team, and we wouldn’t be where we’re at without him. But he’s a strong kid. He’s young, he’s healthy, and I think he’ll be back as soon as possible.”
