Anibal Sanchez’s hamstring injury doesn’t appear to be as serious as initially feared, and the veteran Braves pitcher might not miss more than a couple of weeks.
So said Braves manager Brian Snitker on Thursday, a day after Sanchez crumpled to the ground while running sprints during pregame warm-ups.
When Sanchez had to be carted off the field with his right leg in an air cast Wednesday, most observers thought he had injured his knee or ankle.
But it was a hamstring injury, and a day later Snitker said it was a Grade 1 strain, the least severe kind.
“He’s moving a lot better than it what it looked 24 hours ago,” Snitker said before Thursday night’s series opener against the Mets. “That’s what they said at the end of the night. Relaxed, he felt a lot better.
“Kind of encouraging compared to (when he) went down yesterday. ... Obviously it’s going to be a while until he gets back on the mound, but it may be a lot sooner than we initially thought.”
So maybe not multiple weeks on the 10-day disabled list?
“That’s kind of what they’re thinking,” Snitker confirmed. “I don’t know. It just looks a lot better than it did yesterday, the prognosis is a lot better.”
Matt Wisler was recalled from Triple-A to make what would’ve been Sanchez’s start Thursday, and the Braves opened a 25-man roster spot by designating outfielder Lane Adams for assignment.
If Adams, who was out of minor league options, clears waivers, Snitker said the Braves would like to keep him in the organization.
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