Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki will avoid a stint on the disabled list after an MRI revealed his hand wasn’t fractured. Suzuki left Friday’s game in the sixth inning after a pitch hit him in the hand during an at-bat in the fourth inning.
He hopes to return to the lineup by Tuesday. The Braves are off Sunday before opening a three-game series with the Nationals on Monday.
“Fortunately the tests came back negative, and it’s just a really bad contusion,” Suzuki said. “That’s a good sign. It’s a little sore.”
Suzuki tried to battle through it, but was lifted for Chris Stewart as the sixth inning began.
“They didn’t want to take a chance where if something was wrong, I got hit or it got jammed or something, it really did something to it and I’d be out for an extended period of time,” Suzuki said.
The catcher already felt better when he woke Saturday morning. He expects further soreness, but will be cautious to avoid any lingering effects.
Suzuki’s injury followed fellow catcher Tyler Flowers going down on opening day. Flowers was placed on the 10-day DL on Friday with a left oblique strain.
“I know he’s really sore,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Suzuki. “It’s a day-to-day thing. He’s a tough guy, man. And it’s good because if he misses a couple days, I didn’t want to put him on the DL and three or four days down the road have him ready to play. It’s just a really good thing that it’s just a bruise.”
Stewart started Saturday against the Phillies, with utilityman Charlie Culberson ready as his backup.
It marked the first time the Braves have used three different starting catchers in the first three games in the modern era (since 1900).
“Just sickens your stomach,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You’re not built to withstand that. Nobody is. And we’re in a good position. Thank God we had Stew and Zuke available when Tyler went down. But you know, no team is funded to lose your top two (catchers).”
Suzuki has been hit with two pitches in two games, while Flowers has been hit once. The duo had a knack for being plunked a season ago: Flowers was hit 20 times, while Suzuki was hit 13.
“I don’t know,” Suzuki said. “Pitchers are throwing harder now with a lot of movement. It’s all part of the game. It’s one of those things where you try to get lucky, but hopefully it’s not in a bad area.”
