Braves left fielder Martin Prado said Sunday he would need a couple more days before he's ready to start a minor league rehabilitation assignment in his return from staph-infection surgery.
Prado said the wound on his right calf still hasn’t closed yet. “It’s almost closed,” he said.
The Braves had hoped Prado might be able to head out on assignment as early as Monday, play four games and be ready to come off the disabled list for the weekend series in Philadelphia before the All-Star break. That looks less likely at this point.
Prado needs the wound to heal completely before he can return.
He’s been taking batting practice since Friday without any setbacks, and said it was a matter of getting his legs back in shape.
“I feel OK,” Prado said.
Cortisone for Jones
Chipper Jones was to receive a cortisone injection in his sore right knee after Sunday's game against Baltimore in hopes it would give him the same relief he had from the previous injection six weeks ago.
Typically players need two to three days to let cortisone shots take effect, but Jones was hopeful he would be back in the lineup on Monday night against the Rockies.
"I’m going to get a shot in my knee today and we’ll see how it feels tomorrow," Jones said.
Jones reiterated he wasn't just trying to buy time to avoid arthroscopic surgery until Prado returns from the DL; he was doing this because it allows him to play.
“If it was something where I could only play two to three days a week, that’s different,” Jones said. “I have discomfort in the knee, certain things are worse than others, but I can play. There is something wrong in there, but there are things we can do to get me on the field, so we’re going to do it.”
