BOSTON – Andrelton Simmons was out of the Braves lineup Tuesday against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, a day after being hit in the right hand by a fastball while batting against Boston right-hander Rick Porcello.
X-rays taken after Monday’s game showed no fracture or other structural damage, and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was hopeful that Simmons would return to the lineup Wednesday when the Braves and Red Sox play the first of two more games, this time at Turner Field.
“It’s a little swollen,” Gonzalez said. “We’re listing him ‘day to day.’ Just getting treatment today… It didn’t get any worse (overnight), and the X-rays came back negative. That’s a good thing. He’ll stay (in the clubhouse), do treatment, and hopefully we’ll get him back in the lineup tomorrow… He did say (swelling) had gone down a little since last night.”
The Braves initially feared their Gold Glove shortstop might have a serious injury, but Simmons was examined by the team’s head trainer, Jeff Porter, on the field after the seventh-inning incident, and allowed to finish the game.
“It definitely hurt,” Simmons. “I didn’t think I broke anything at first. After it got numb I was getting worried, but at the same time it didn’t feel like unbearable pain, it just swelled up. It was burning a little bit, but I was pretty confident it was fine.”
Simmons had some lingering swelling Tuesday in the area where he was hit, at the base of his middle and index finger.
“The swelling’s gone down a little bit,” he said. “Feels better.”
Simmons started all but one of the Braves’ 64 games before Tuesday. Asked if he thought he’d be back in the lineup Wednesday, he said, “Yeah. I’m always available, whenever they need me. I mean, it’s obviously not 100 percent, but I’m ready to go whenever they think I’m ready. I like to play. I like being involved, helping my teammates. If they think I’m not well enough, I’m OK with that.”
Simmons after he had squared up to bunt, then tried to pull the bat back as the pitch came inside. Initially ruled a foul ball, the call was overturned and changed to a hit-by-pitch after the Braves challenged.
Replays showed Simmons had his fingers wrapped around the bat when he got hit. That’s a dangerous position for a hitter to have his fingers, which should be below the bat, with the thumb behind and above the bat to form the hand in a U shape that absorbs impact when the ball strikes bat.
“I don’t know what happened there,” Simmons said of his finger placement. “To be honest, I think as the ball was coming in I was trying to pull it back, and just didn’t have anywhere to go
