LOS ANGELES – Brandon Phillips was out of the Braves lineup Friday against the Dodgers, the night after right hamstring tightness forced the veteran second baseman to leave in the sixth inning of a 6-3 series-opening win at Dodger Stadium.
“Sore,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Phillips’ condition. “I think he can still kind of feel it a little bit, didn’t want to push it. Maybe take a day and I’m hoping he’ll be fine (Saturday). Soon as you hear ‘still feeling it a little bit,’ there’s no reason to push something like that.”
Phillips, 36, came up gingerly after a third-inning leadoff triple, but stayed in the game until after the top of the sixth. He’s 11-for-23 (.478) with seven extra-base hits since the All-Star break including his first-ever three-double game, and Phillips leads the Braves with 24 doubles.
Versatile rookie Johan Camargo started at second base Friday and Sean Rodriguez was at third base, making his third start since coming off the disabled list last week after missing the first 90 games recovering from shoulder surgery. Freddie Freeman was at first base, as he’s been against left-handed pitchers lately.
Against right-handers, Freeman has played third base since returning from a seven-week DL stint for a wrist fracture and Matt Adams has been at first base.
The Braves faced lefty Alex Wood, the former Brave, on Friday in the first of three consecutive lefty starters for the Dodgers. They’ll face Rich Hill on Saturday and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in the Sunday finale of the four-game series.
