LOS ANGELES – Brandon Phillips had a .478 average and seven extra-base hits in a six-game hitting streak since the All-Star break, so no one wants the veteran second baseman to get back in the lineup more than he does.
He missed his second consecutive start Saturday with hamstring tightness, but Phillips he planned to play Sunday’s series finale against the Dodgers.
“I told (manager Brian Snitker) I can play tomorrow,” Phillips said before batting practice Saturday afternoon. “I could’ve played today but I just want to (be cautious).”
Snitker agreed it was wise to sit out another game, though Phillips, 36, was available to pinch-hit or play if needed off the bench Saturday.
“It’s just one of them things you don’t want to push,” Snitker said. “Rather be safe than sorry.”
Johan Camargo made his second consecutive start at second base and his 10th start in the Braves’ past 11 games, including five starts at shortstop and three apiece at second base and third base during that stretch.
Having the the versatile rookie Camargo available to play exceptional defense at any of the three positions made it a little easier to be cautious bringing back a guy like Phillips and let him take an extra day to recover from something like a sore hamstring.
“Yeah, wherever you put (Camargo) he’s pretty good,” Snitker said.
Phillips had a .304 career average at Dodger Stadium, where he hit a stunning .459 (28-for-61) with two homers and nine RBIs in his first 13 games during the 2006 through 2010 seasons.
He’s hit just .182 (14-for-77) since then at the stadium, but in Thursday’s series opener he was 1-for-3 with his first triple of the season before leaving the game when his hamstring tightened on that hit and never loosened in the next three innings.
