When it rains, it pours… another Atlanta Brave goes down with an injury during Tuesday night’s contest.
When the Atlanta Braves signed catcher Brian McCann last Winter, it was a happy reunion for both sides. Once that honeymoon was over, though, the next question was ‘how do you feel?’
McCann had missed some spotty time over the past several years for various maladies, most recently an arthroscopic procedure on his “troublesome right knee” last July while still with the Houston Astros.
Once the season ended and he actually had a chance to rest, things improved and he pronounced himself ready and healthy upon arrival at Disney World when Spring training began in February.
But it’s a long season and catchers are always at risk. Tuesday night, something told McCann that things with his other knee weren’t quite right.
McCann underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last year. https://t.co/Po4xoTgKcP
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 21, 2019
Will Have to Wait for Details
Here’s the rub. Brian McCann is clearly a ‘gamer’ and wouldn’t just remove himself from the game for something inconsequential.
The Braves are apparently not taking chances either – they are making sure that help will be available if necessary:
With Brian McCann leaving tonight's game with an injury, Alex Jackson was just removed from Gwinnett's game in Norfolk. #Braves @680TheFan
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) August 21, 2019
Alex Jackson is the only other true catcher on the 40-man roster. The Braves did pick up an extra catcher just before the trade deadline, that being John Ryan Murphy, but he was not added to the 40-man list – a roster that’s already ‘tight’.
If McCann is put onto the Injured List, then Jackson would therefore be a lock to be invited to join the team in Atlanta on Wednesday.
If not, then there would have to be some confidence that the injury is so incidental that McCann could still back up Tyler Flowers if needed… anything less and then the team would be at risk with the catching position (Charlie Culberson being the emergency catcher).
The betting here is that McCann will be IL’d to avoid any chance of a short bench. Frankly, after 72 game appearances in 2019 thus far, giving him a mini-vacation wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world when this club has the chance for another couple months’ of games still coming.
UPDATE: Things might be getting more complicated…
#Braves will have more info about Brian McCann tomorrow after he undergoes further testing. Snit said Alex Jackson was also dealing with a potential injury with Gwinnett, unrelated to McCann.
— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) August 21, 2019
Obvious final sentiment: Hopefully it isn’t anything serious… for either player. McCann is getting checked out – we’ll know more on Wednesday.