MIAMI — Freddie Freeman hit his 20th home run Tuesday, the first Braves rookie to hit 20 or more in a season since a bonus baby named Larry Wayne Jones Jr. hit 23 in 1995.
Chipper Jones was National League rookie of the year runner-up to Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo, who had a 2.54 ERA and a league-high 236 strikeouts in 191 1/3 innings.
The consenus is that Freeman and Braves closer Craig Kimbrel should finish first and second in this year NL rookie balloting, although it’s not clear in which order. Phillies pitcher Vance Worley (11-2, 2.85 ERA) could also get plenty of votes.
Freeman started the season hitting eighth, but worked his way up to the middle of the order and has hit third, fourth or fifth in 87 games.
“Asking a guy like that in the middle of the order, as a rookie for the Atlanta Braves, that’s pretty good,” Braves hitting coach Larry Parrish said. “The thing that keeps him going and not having that bad stretch is, he doesn’t try to pull the ball.”
Freeman concedes he tried to pull everything in the first month of the season. He hit .227 with four homers and 14 RBIs in his first 43 games, with a .319 OBP and .355 slugging percentage through May 18.
He focused on getting back to using the middle of the field, and things began to click.
From May 19 through Monday, Freeman hit .308 with 16 homers and 60 RBIs in 107 games, with a .364 OBP and .490 slugging percentage.
“Not many rookies doing that,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “It’s pretty special.”
Before Wednesday he led NL rookies in hits (an Atlanta-rookie record 156), average, doubles and RBIs, and was tied with Washington’s Danny Espinosa for the homer lead.
Encouraging reports
The Braves had encouraging reports Wednesday from rehabbing pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Kris Medlen.
Jurrjens’ knee held up fine during a full-effort 50-pitch bullpen session in Miami, while Medlen’s one-inning relief appearance went without incident a few hours up the turnpike in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Jurrjens is recovering from a bone bruise in his right knee and last pitched in a game Aug. 30. He wore a custom-fitted brace during a 40-pitch bullpen session Monday and during Wednesday’s longer, more intense session in the Sun Life Stadium bullpen.
“It was good, comfortable,” Jurrjens said of the session. “The brace and all the exercises that I’ve been doing, the exercises that the doctor gave me, seems like it’s working.”
He said he threw all his pitches at “100 percent” effort with no problems. Jurrjens is scheduled to throw about 50 pitches in an instructional league game Friday, and still isn’t expected to rejoin the rotation until a potential second-round playoff series.
“[The brace] is giving me the confidence back to, like, drive off the mound and reach out,” he said. “I’m a little sore in the low back because it’s been a long time without reaching. But it’s a good feeling. I’ll just keep working to get ready.”
The Braves think there’s a better shot that Tommy Hanson (shoulder) could make it back for the opening round. Hanson is scheduled to throw about 65 pitches in an Instructional League game Friday, and could pitch the regular-season finale.
Also Wednesday, shortstop Alex Gonzalez said his strained left calf felt better, and he’s expected to return to the lineup Friday. He left Tuesday’s game in the sixth inning.
Home for son’s surgery
Jones left the team and returned to Atlanta on Wednesday to be with his son, Shea, 7, who had surgery on his sinuses.
The veteran third baseman was back in South Florida by Wednesday night and rejoined the Braves in the dugout during the third inning of their series finale against the Marlins.
Gonzalez said Jones’ absence had been approved about two weeks ago.
“It’s been planned for a while,” Gonzalez said. “They couldn’t move the date.”
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