NEW YORK – Dansby Swanson won’t say how long his left wrist has been hurting and won’t use it as an excuse. But it might help explain the Braves shortstop’s decline since a blistering first few weeks.
Swanson left Wednesday’s 7-0 win against the Mets before the bottom of the sixth inning for what he and the Braves termed precautionary reasons. Manager Brian Snitker said Swanson’s status was “day-to-day” and that he would would sit out Thursday’s series finale in New York.
“It’s just been sore and today it was a little extra-sore,” Swanson said. “So it’s just precautionary stuff, and I already talked to Snit. I just felt it was kind of best, especially with the season being so long, it’s just good to be smart about things….
“Hopefully just being able to relax a little tomorrow, just kind of calm everything down and be ready to roll.”
Swanson is 8-for-43 (.186) with no extra-base hits, one RBI, 16 strikeouts and a .441 OPS in his past 11 games, after batting .352 (25-for-71) with 11 extra-base hits, 12 RBIs, 16 strikeouts and a .964 OPS in his first 17 games.
He’s had seven multi-strikeout games in his past 11 including each of the past three.
“That last at-bat he had, I could just tell something wasn’t right with the swings,” Snitker said after Swanson struck out in both plate appearances Wednesday, in the second and fifth innings. “It’s something that got a little sore and I just wanted to get him out of there, I just didn’t think it was worth going.
“I’ll set him tomorrow and take it day-to-day. I don’t think it’s anything big, it’s just sore and just a little rest, I think, and treatment will be good for him.”
Johan Camargo replaced Swanson and hit a two-run, two-out homer in the Braves’ four-run eighth inning. Camargo is expected to be in the lineup for Thursday afternoon’s series finale when the Braves go for a sweep and try to extend a four-game winning streak.
Asked how long Swanson’s wrist had been ailing, Snitker said, “It’s been kind of bugging him, but it’s kind of a day-to-day thing. Some days I think it’s good, some days it might be a little bothersome, but tonight I could tell it wasn’t good.”
Swanson said there was no specific incident or swing that caused the initial problem.
“Just from playing every day,” he said. “I don’t know if overuse would be the right word. We just didn’t think it’d be something we’d want to try and push through right now.”
Asked how long it had bothered him he said, “Just the past little bit. Just one of those things where I’ve been playing a lot lately and it’s a little sore, and just thought it was best to take care of it now and not let it develop any more.”
