Alex Gonzalez’s hot streak was interrupted Tuesday night when a sore groin kept the Braves shortstop out of the lineup against Washington.
But he did not expect to be out more than a game or two.
“It’s tight, but I don’t feel a pop or anything like that,” said Gonzalez, who was injured during Sunday’s win at Philadelphia. “I’m doing stuff today. Take tonight off, maybe play tomorrow. I don’t want to take two, three days or a week.”
The veteran is 16-for-51 (.314) with three doubles, two homers, 11 RBIs and 11 runs in his past 13 games and leads major league shortstops with a .994 fielding percentage and only one error. Diory Hernandez replaced him in the lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against the Nationals.
Gonzalez rested Monday on the team’s off day and said the groin wasn’t bad Tuesday. A little tight, but not painful. He took batting practice, but didn’t risk another injury by ranging to is left or right fielding balls.
He was hurt fielding a third-inning grounder Sunday and played four more innings. When the soreness worsened, he was replaced in the bottom of the eighth.
“Hopefully we got him out of the game early enough that it’s not going to be a long-term thing,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Tuesday.
Lowe’s a go for Thursday
Four days after a foot blister affected his no-hit bid at Philadelphia, Braves pitcher Derek Lowe said the problem was taken care of and he would be ready to make his next scheduled start Thursday against Washington.
Lowe threw a normal between-starts session in the bullpen Tuesday and was upbeat about his return.
“It’s all bandaged up,” he said, pointing to the area of his bottom right shoe where the blister developed from rubbing against the spikes he wore in Friday’s game.
Lowe hobbled through the fifth and sixth innings, but didn’t give up a hit until the Phillies had back-to-back hits to start the seventh. Left-hander Eric O’Flaherty came on and struck out the next three batters en route to the Braves’ 5-0 win.
“The skin came off in the fourth inning,” said Lowe, who confused TV viewers and broadcasters by grabbing his leg a few times, as if he had a hamstring injury. “It burned so bad, I just wanted to get my foot off the ground.”
Surgery likely for Moylan
Braves general manager Frank Wren said surgery remained “very likely” for reliever Peter Moylan, who flew back from Los Angeles on Tuesday after getting a second opinion on the bulging disc in his lower back.
The veteran sidearmer has been out three weeks and would be out much longer if he has back surgery. He was examined by noted specialist Dr. Robert Watkins in California after meeting last week with the Braves’ back specialist.
Braves officials and Moylan were still discussing his options Tuesday.
Moylan had two back surgeries for similar problems in 2001 and 2003, when he was out of professional baseball and living in his homeland of Australia.
Safety nets for fans
Before Tuesday’s game, the Braves unveiled new safety netting to protect fans during batting practice. The nets are about 12 feet tall and run 100 feet or more down the right-field and left-field lines, beginning about 30 feet past the dugouts.
They are strung on poles in front of the seats and removed before the game.
“Just to provide a little safety zone for people watching batting practice, if they want to use it,” Braves president John Schuerholz said. “We have people with kids who might want to sit behind them.
