The Braves are encouraged by catcher Tyler Flowers’ progress and the backstop could return to the team’s lineup as early as Tuesday.
Flowers was hit on the hand by a 98-mph pitch on Saturday. He stayed in the game and the X-rays came back negative, but the Braves wanted to give him time to heal.
With backstop mate Brian McCann on the injured list with a hamstring strain, Alex Jackson was promoted to serve as the Braves’ primary catcher. He started Sunday and Monday.
The Braves seemed to avoid serious injuries to their catchers. McCann feels good and will likely be ready to return upon the end of his 10-day IL stint. Flowers received treatment Monday afternoon, and the Braves are comfortable playing him if needed.
“He’s available in an emergency, if we need him to he’ll be able to catch,” manager Brian Snitker said. “But it is improving. It’s a bruise so it’s going to take a while. They have so many different things they can hook him up to and do all that stuff, but it is getting a lot better.”
Flowers could be slotted in Tuesday’s lineup, Snitker said. He’d be placed at the bottom of the order to keep his at-bats down if that occurs.
“We’re going to wait and see if he gets there tomorrow, or if he needs another day or two, so be it,” Snitker said. “We’ll give it to him. But if he’s ready to go we’ll get him out there.”
