An MRI taken on Jordan Schafer’s right ankle Friday revealed a stress fracture, known as an intraosseous fracture, Braves general manager Frank Wren said Friday night.
It’s a rare fracture to the inside of the bone and did not show up on either of two X-rays taken in recent weeks.
“If we had (taken an) MRI at the time of the injury, this fracture would not have shown up,” Wren said. “It’s the type thing that over time, you get a better sense of it. It’s one of those strange situations.”
Wren said the injuries typically require six weeks to heal. Schafer is already 2 ½ weeks into that process.
“It’s on its way to healing,” Wren said. “It’s probably a six-week injury, and so he’s a couple weeks into that now. Nothing really changes. It’s going to take time.”
Schafer first fouled a ball off his right ankle in Kansas City on June 26 and initial X-rays were negative. He rested for a week and attempted to come back in a couple of pinch hit at-bats July 2 and 3. X-rays were taken again when pain persisted, and he was placed on the disabled list July 4.
Schafer was back on the field taking batting practice Wednesday in Miami but continued to feel pain running. Wren said doctors didn’t believe playing on it for those two at-bats exacerbated the injury.
The Braves were already short-handed in the outfield given Schafer’s injury. Then they watched both Jason Heyward (hamstring strain) and B.J. Upton (adductor strain) leave the first two games of the series against the Reds. The Braves had hoped to get through the weekend to the All-Star break without having to make a roster move, but that could change now.
“That may have changed,” Wren said. “I think we’ll talk after the game and see where we are, once we get a better sense of everything.”
