B.J. Upton had to leave Friday’s game in the first inning with a right adductor muscle strain after a diving play in center field trying to catch a line drive by Todd Frazier. Upton, who drove his right knee into the ground on the play, lay on the field for several moments but eventually got up and walked gingerly off with assistant trainer Jim Lovell, favoring that right hip area.
Upton became the second Braves starting outfielder to leave a game injured in as many nights. Jason Heyward strained his hamstring in the second inning against the Reds on Thursday night.
Heyward was unavailable to play Friday night and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has planned to sit him out the rest of the weekend series against the Reds. Jordan Schafer is still on the disabled list with a sore right ankle and is not eligible to come off until after the All-Star break.
Gonzalez was already starting Reed Johnson in right field, and had to move him to center Friday night when Upton got hurt. He put rookie Joey Terdoslavich in left field, his first major league action in the field.
Gonzalez’s next option in the outfield was Tyler Pastornicky who is primarily a middle infielder. Pastornicky has played only three games in the outfield – all this season with Triple-A Gwinnett - as well as some in spring training.
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