The Braves placed first baseman Freddie Freeman on the 15-day disabled list Sunday morning with a strained right oblique muscle and he’s not happy about it.
Freeman thinks he can continue to play through the injury, which he suffered during workouts last Sunday. He notes that he was on deck when Justin Upton hit a walk-off home run to defeat the Cubs on Saturday night. And he said he didn’t appreciate having to learn about the decision after the club already made it.
Freeman, 23, was 7 for 17 with a home run and five RBIs through the first five games. Freeman winced and grabbed his side after hitting a single in the eighth inning Saturday night.
Braves general manager Frank Wren said the need to place Freeman on the disabled list was “pretty apparent” after doctors examined him late Saturday.
“Obliques are going to be a couple weeks at minimum and, if you are really lucky, you can get a player back right after the ‘DL’ stint,” he said. “But it’s not shortened any. Especially this early in the season, we are not going to take a chance to turn what could be a two to three week (injury) into a six-to-eight week by tearing that oblique area.”
Wren said the team considers the desire of players when it comes to injuries and appreciates that Freeman wants to play “but sometimes we have to protect players from themselves.”
Wren said it’s standard for the team to inform players of roster decisions when they first arrive in the clubhouse.
“This is not one of those situations where we want to lose him for the whole first half (of the season) by letting him go out and tear that oblique area and then we are dealing with a much different injury,” Wren said. “We think we caught it early enough where he should be back in two to three weeks. But if we let it go any further it might change.”
Freeman said he also was upset because the Braves won’t allow him to travel with the team while he’s on the disabled list. Wren said it’s club policy for injured players not to travel so they aren’t tempted to engage in baseball activities that can worsen their injury.
To take Freeman’s roster spot the Braves promoted infielder Blake DeWitt from Triple-A Gwinnett. The plan is for Chris Johnson to fill in for Freeman at first base with Juan Francisco at third and DeWitt available off the bench.
Short hops: The Elias Sports Bureau said Braves outfielders B.J. Upton and Justin Upton on Saturday became the first brothers in major league history to hit a game-tying and game-winning home run in the ninth inning. In 1962, Tommie Aaron hit a home run in the ninth inning for the Milwaukee Braves against the Cardinals and brother Hank later won the game 8-6 with a grand slam… .
Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons (thumb) was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Sunday and Ramiro Pena took his place. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Simmons could return to play Monday at Miami… .
After starting the season 0 for 16, B.J. Upton is 3 for 5 with three walks in two games since Gonzalez moved him to first in the order. Upton said it’s a coincidence: “It has nothing to do with the lead-off spot. I think more important is feeling comfortable in the box.” Gonzalez said Upton could stay at the top of the lineup when Simmons returns.
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