Braves place Brian McCann on injured list, promote Alex Jackson

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Braves catcher Brian McCann left Saturday night’s game in the fourth inning with what the team described as a right hamstring strain.

He will be placed on the injured list Sunday, and catcher Alex Jackson will be promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett, manager Brian Snitker said.

McCann grabbed his right hamstring after sliding into third base on a sacrifice bunt attempt. He was called out on the play and walked slowly off the field, then went to the Braves’ clubhouse for further examination.

“When I was running to second, when I slid, it was a little tight. And then on the bunt, it just kind of grabbed on me,” McCann said later. “When I was going down to slide (into third base), I kind of felt it grab, so I knew that I was probably coming out of the game.

“With those things, you’ve got to be careful it doesn’t turn into something major.”

McCann said he hopes to have a better idea Sunday how long he’ll be sidelined. Being placed on the injured list means at least a 10-day absence.

After McCann’s departure, Tyler Flowers entered the game at catcher for the Braves and soon had his own brush with injury.  Batting in the fifth inning, Flowers was hit on the right hand by a 98-miles-per-hour fastball. He remained in the game but had difficulty gripping the bat.

“Day to day,” Flowers said after the game.

The first set of X-rays of Flowers’ hand didn’t show a fracture, Flowers and manager Brian Snitker said. Flowers will be evaluated again Sunday.

“I guess sometimes you never know 100 percent, but  everything that we saw looked good,” said Flowers, who expressed hope that he won’t miss more than a couple of days.

McCann, who played his first nine big-league seasons with the Braves from 2005-13, rejoined the team this season. After playing three years with the Yankees and two with the Astros, he signed with the Braves as a free agent in November.

Cox Media Group