Braves third baseman Chipper Jones has a small meniscus tear in his right knee, which was discovered Sunday afternoon after he was scratched from a start against the Phillies.
Jones left Turner Field during the game to undergo an MRI that revealed the small cartilage tear in his right knee, not the left one surgically repaired for a torn ligament last August.
Jones received an injection in his right knee when he returned to Turner Field on Sunday and hopes to avoid surgery. But if the pain hasn’t subsided in a few days he could be facing arthroscopic surgery.
“We’ll know in a couple days,” Jones said. “If the shot helps then I’ll play as long as I can. If the shot doesn’t help then they’ll go in and clean it up.”
Jones said he underwent a similar arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in 1996, which cost him a little more than two weeks.
Jones, 39, hasn’t missed any games this season because of his left knee, but this is the second game he’s missed with right knee soreness. Jones sat out April 23 against the Giants in San Francisco. He’s dealt with the pain on and off for the past month.
“Today was awful,” said Jones, who tried to go before getting scratched 10 minutes before the game. “I took about five swings in the cage and walked out, still thought I might loosen up, maybe some of the pain medication might kick in. But 10 minutes from starting the game, suited up, went out to run and I just couldn’t do it today.”
Jones has missed five games of the Braves' 42 this season -- two for injury, and three for scheduled days off. Brooks Conrad made his first start in the field this season in Jones' place at third base.
Teheran to start Wednesday?
The Braves haven't announced who'll start Wednesday in Arizona in place of injured pitcher Brandon Beachy (strained oblique), but all signs point to the return of prospect Julio Teheran.
Mike Minor made his scheduled start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, pitching five innings and throwing 90 pitches. Rodrigo Lopez is out of options, so it makes little sense to bring him up for a spot start Wednesday when the Braves might lose him on the waiver wire if they tried to send him back down. The Braves don't need their fifth starter again until May 31 because of off days.
Teheran’s next scheduled start in Gwinnett is Tuesday night, which the Braves can scratch, so he’d be available to make his second major league start for the Braves against the Diamondbacks the following day.
"Obviously it's not Minor," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who wouldn't give any insight beyond that after Sunday's game. "We'll let you know tomorrow."
Teheran gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings in his major league debut against the Phillies on May 7 in what figured to be his only spot start. But that was before Beachy had to leave Friday’s game with what the Braves are calling an oblique strain and figures to cost him at least a month.
Proctor returns
As planned, the Braves called up reliever Scott Proctor from Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, keeping a commitment to him that they'd recall him by May 15 if he stayed with the Braves over other interested teams.
They used Beachy’s roster spot to make room for him after placing Beachy on the 15-day disabled list. The Braves had released Proctor out of spring training and re-signed him to a minor league contract.
The same reason at least two other teams were interested in Proctor is why the Braves are glad to have him back. He appears to have finally regained his form after an extended comeback from two elbow surgeries.
Proctor had a 1.06 ERA and three saves in 14 games for Gwinnett, where he reconnected with pitching coach Marty Reed.
“It was nice working with him again,” said Proctor, who was with Reed while coming up through the Dodgers organization. “Made a couple tweaks with the way I’m setting on the mound, closing myself off. It was just trusting my stuff and making pitches.”
Heyward targeting Tuesday
Braves right fielder Jason Heyward originally thought he might get back in the lineup on Monday night against the Astros but has pushed that back to Tuesday.
Heyward took about 30-40 swings off the tee Sunday and wants Monday to test his right shoulder in a full session of batting practice.
“It feels a lot better,” said Heyward, who swung for the first time since receiving cortisone injections in his right shoulder.
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