Brian McCann sat out his second consecutive game with some soreness in his right knee. McCann caught Friday’s game against the Marlins, going 2-for-4 with a home run, but told manager Fredi Gonzalez his knee started bothering him when he was catching Brandon Beachy in the bullpen before the game.
McCann said he dealt with similar soreness last year.
“I tried to play through it last year and it kept getting worse and worse and worse,” said McCann, who hit a career-low .230 in an injury-riddled 2012 season. “I just want to make sure that I don’t push it when I don’t need to.”
McCann was planning to sit on Sunday and then see how his knee felt Monday. The Braves activated Gerald Laird from the disabled list Sunday so they have two active catchers with Laird and Evan Gattis, which would allow McCann another day or two if needed.
“I’ll probably take today and see how it feels tomorrow,” McCann said Sunday morning.
He’s still able to pinch hit without issue.
“If I played any other position, it wouldn’t be a problem,” McCann said. “But to squat and trying to block (pitches), that’s where it gives me trouble.”
McCann is one of the hottest hitters in the Braves lineup. Entering Sunday he was hitting .321 (42-for-131) with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs over his previous 35 games, dating back to June 23.
Sunday morning, he was most proud of his 1-year-old son Colt, whom he carried around on the field during the Braves annual “Family Day” before the game in a red T-shirt that said “CMac.”
