CHICAGO – Justin Upton said his left calf was fine before he returned to the Braves lineup Friday night, while Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward each got at least one more day to recover from their injuries.
After the four-day All-Star break, the Braves were set to face the White Sox in a three-game interleague series beginning Friday. Freeman was voted to the All-Star team but didn’t play after jamming his left thumb Saturday, and Heyward missed his fourth consecutive start Friday since straining his right hamstring while sliding July 11.
“Ran yesterday and felt it a little bit,” Heyward said Friday. “That’s enough to say, ‘OK, not just yet.’ But it’s been getting better every day. I ran a couple of days over the break, got treatment, things like that.”
Freeman injured the thumb of his glove hand while tagging a runner in Saturday’s game against the Reds. He wore a splint and didn’t pick up a bat again until Thursday, when he was examined by the Braves hand specialist and cleared to begin swinging.
The first baseman took some light swings during the Braves’ off-day workout Thursday at U.S. Cellular Field. He hit off a tee early Friday afternoon, then took pregame batting practice with the team.
“We were waiting to give him the whole five days (without hitting),” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “So we waited till today to hit some balls off the tee. (He said) it felt great, and he’s going to take his normal round of batting practice, and hopefully he’s good tomorrow.”
With Freeman out, rookie Joey Terdoslavich made his second major league start and his first at first base, his primary position in the minors before being converted to outfield at spring training. Evan Gattis was the Braves’ designated hitter Friday, his second game since returning from the DL for an oblique strain.
Justin Upton moved over from left field to right in place of Heyward. Jose Constanza, called up from Triple-A Gwinnett last weekend, got his third start in left field.
Veteran Reed Johnson made his third consecutive start in center field in place of B.J. Upton, who was put on the 15-day DL after straining an adductor muscle (groin area) in the same game in which his brother Justin was injured. The Braves lost their entire starting outfield and Freeman in a 48-hour span.
Heyward said he took batting practice Thursday during the team’s workout in Chicago, and tested the hamstring with running and conditioning drills similar to those the Braves go through during pregame warmups.
“I think I’m really close” to returning, he said. “It was a good test (Thursday). I did feel it a little bit, so it’s enough to be cautious. Got to be smart about it. But getting real close. Every day, it feels better.”
After struggling during his appendectomy-shortened months in April and May, Heyward hit 290 with 15 extra-base hits (five homers) and a .356 on-base percentage in his last 36 games before hurting his hamstring on slide at third base against Cincinnati.
“He still feels it a little bit, so we’re going to give him another day,” Gonzalez said. “But he’s really getting closer, making a lot of progress.”
Justin Upton said he had no problems with his calf when he tested it Thursday.
“Those days of rest (All-Star break) coincidentally were coming up right after” the injury, Upton said. “I had a good amount of time to rest. I ran yesterday and felt good, so I feel like I’m ready to go.”
Upton had ended a seven-week slump and batted .318 with nine extra-base hits, 12 RBIs and a .373 OBP in his last 18 games before his calf tightened while running out a ground ball July 12 against the Reds.
“Yeah, I was starting to get some hits,” he said. “Had a little (down time since the injury), but the rest was needed. So we’re ready for the second half, and personally I think I’m ready, too.”
