Brandon Beachy’s strained oblique felt as bad as he expected Saturday, and the Braves pitcher was already thinking about what’s ahead after a stint on the disabled list.
“I wish I would have woke up this morning and it was better, but unfortunately it’s not,” said the rookie right-hander, injured while striking out in the second inning of Friday’s 5-4 loss to Philadelphia.
“However long this keeps me out — I have no idea, hopefully not long — it’s going to be a mental battle as much as it is physical to get myself ready to go again.”
The Braves were considering any of three Triple-A Gwinnett candidates — Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Rodrigo Lopez — to replace Beachy, who could miss at least a few weeks, though no timetable for his return has been set.
Because of off days in the schedule, a replacement starter will be needed only once (Wednesday) before May 31.
Beachy felt a “tearing sensation” on a missed swing, then threw two warm-up pitches between innings before conceding he couldn’t continue.
“I [thought] I could just muscle through it. ... As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t,” he said.
The Braves didn’t rush to put him on the 15-day DL because they already had planned to bring reliever Scott Proctor from Gwinnett on Sunday.
Proctor can take Beachy’s roster spot for now, postponing the 25-man roster move the Braves would’ve had to make to open a spot for the reliever.
Prado keeps sizzling
A sluggish early April is fading from view for Martin Prado, who continued a torrid stretch Saturday, going 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.
The left fielder is 27-for-71 (.380) with 17 RBIs in his past 16 games, including 11-for-23 with three homers and eight RBIs during a current streak of five multi-hit games.
“I think we know who the Player of the Week is going to be this week,” Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said. “He started off a bit slow, but when he gets it going you just roll with it. ... I dare say Prado is probably leading all leadoff men in RBIs. He’s probably leading the team by now.
“He’s had a lot of opportunities, but he’s the one guy I’d want, other than myself, up at the plate right now with some meaningful runs out there.”
Prado and Jones have 27 RBIs apiece, tied for the team lead.
Heyward’s return
Jason Heyward wasn’t expected to play before Monday, but the Braves’ right fielder entered Saturday’s game in the top of the ninth inning.
He had a cortisone shot in his right shoulder Thursday for an inflamed rotator cuff, and he and manager Fredi Gonzalez had indicated Heyward wouldn’t play this weekend.
To the surprise of many, he came in as part of a double-switch when closer Craig Kimbrel entered to pitch the ninth, with the Braves ahead 5-3.
“I asked him and he said, I can play defense, but I can’t swing the bat yet,” Gonzalez said. “That’s why we did what we did, and put him in as far away [in lineup] from swinging the bat as possible.”
Ross’ surprise bunt
With two out in the sixth, runners on the corners and the Braves ahead 2-1, the Phillies weren’t expecting catcher David Ross to bunt. That’s why it worked.
Ross laid down a soft bunt to the left side and Dan Uggla scored from third.
“He did it to me when he was in Cincinnati,” Gonzalez said, smiling. “I still haven’t forgiven him. Now I’ll forgive him.
“He knows how to handle a bat, and he asked me [Saturday], if that situation comes up are you going to pinch-hit for [Jair] Jurrjens? I said probably not and he said, I’m thinking about doing it. I said, go ahead.”
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