McCann’s ribcage muscle improving, hopes to return Monday
Brian McCann and the Braves were encouraged Saturday by how much better McCann’s strained ribcage muscle felt on Saturday and hope to have the All-Star catcher back in the lineup as early as Monday.
McCann, who suffered an intercostal strain Friday night on a throw to second base, said he woke up Saturday morning relieved.
“I’m a little sore up under my ribcage, but it’s just going to be a matter of dealing with a little soreness, which is a lot better than I thought last night,” McCann said. “…I woke up and knew that it would only be a couple-day thing. I don’t think I can re-injure it doing anything. It’s just a matter of dealing with a little twinge.”
McCann said after he made the throw to second on a wild pitch in the fourth inning, it felt like he had a cramp as he went back into his crouch. He said he felt it again in the fifth throwing to second base on a pitch-out. He came out after grounding out in the bottom of the fifth, something both he and manager Fredi Gonzalez think might have saved him in the long run.
“I don’t like not being in there, but I learned my lesson last year that you go on the DL with an oblique for 3 ½ weeks to a month, it’s going to take you two months to get back,” McCann said. “So I was being cautious and hopefully in a couple days I’ll be ready to go.”
Braves trainers said Friday night the injury was not expected to be as serious as the strained oblique that landed McCann on the disabled list and derailed his 2011 season because it was higher up in his ribcage area. It was also on his right side, not the left like last year. Their predictions were confirmed when McCann was examined again by the Braves medical staff Saturday afternoon.
“It was really, really encouraging today,” Gonzalez said.
Backup catcher David Ross will start Saturday and Sunday and the Braves will use outfielder Matt Diaz as an emergency catcher. Diaz might normally have started in left field Saturday night against left-hander Erik Bedard, but Gonzalez didn’t want to take any chances. Beyond Diaz, Gonzalez said McCann could catch in a dire emergency. McCann said he’s been told he can’t re-injure it by playing.
Diaz last caught in a game in the instructional league in 2005 when the Kansas City Royals were trying to convert him to catcher. A few months later, he was traded to the Braves.
“First thing I asked Frank Wren, who was assistant GM at the time, was ‘You trading for me as a catcher or an outfielder?’” Diaz said. “’No we’re happy with our catching. We have a young guy named Brian McCann.’”
Diaz said he caught a few bullpen sessions last year with the Pirates.
“You don’t really get anything out of that though,” Diaz said. “It’s the first swing in front of your face when you’re trying to catch a ball – nothing you do can prepare you for that.”
In the meantime, he’s got one of McCann’s mitts to use if necessary. Otherwise?
“I’ll be praying for Ross today,” Diaz said.
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56 comments Add your comment
Brave Decisions
April 28th, 2012
5:52 pm
Good thing we have a great back up, well rested because he never pinch hits.
Minor league FA Tim Smith is a worthy pick up. http://wp.me/p2lqJ1-5L
eskippy
April 28th, 2012
5:52 pm
1
reckingball
April 28th, 2012
6:02 pm
I can only hope that McCann is 200% sure that he is ready to return to play.
It looked like he tried to come back too soon last year, and things didn’t turn out…… well, we know how things turned out.
Weaseal
April 28th, 2012
6:15 pm
Heck Brian take monday off to we got this…
JeanE
April 28th, 2012
6:18 pm
Good to hear it doesn’t sound too bad, he should take whatever time he needs for it to feel better. I was a little peeved Diaz wasn’t playing against the lefty tonight but I totally get why he can’t. Go Braves!!
ChrisfromSacramento,Ca
April 28th, 2012
6:29 pm
Frank Wren,
Please don’t pick up McCann’s 13 mil option or sign him long term for a hundred mil. Mac is at best a dh.
Hell trade him now. He is not a good catcher or a cleanup hitter. He is a fine player and great person but it’s time to let fat Mac and his pull happy ass go!
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
April 28th, 2012
6:35 pm
Thanks for the update, Ms. Rogers!
Hope it goes just as they plan. Can’t have a thing like this hang around…but sounds like it’s not going to…Just take it easy these next couple days, BMac!
Big Lou
April 28th, 2012
6:35 pm
Shut the f!ck up Chris and crawl under the troll rock you came from!
Wes Covington
April 28th, 2012
6:39 pm
A little harsh and cruel Chris. Agree he needs to drop a few bunts down toward 3rd to keep them honest, but he is a 6 time All Star. You folks do get tv, radio, and newsprint out in Sacramento, don’t you. You must really be down on Lowe 15 mil, Chip 15 mil, and Uggla 13 mil. Wren has made plenty of mistakes but McCann is not one of them.
go-BRAVOS
April 28th, 2012
6:40 pm
Let BMac go??? I think he still can help us win, but yeah he does need to learn how to become a complete hitter..I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him go the other way with a pitch. Even Uggla has started to use the whole field a little. I can’t stand that shift he allows teams to employ on him, a couple bunts singles up the 3rd base line and it will at least keep them honest.
ChrisfromSacramento,Ca
April 28th, 2012
6:43 pm
I like Mac and know what he is done. But he is overweight and will be 30 soon. As his cater has progressed his average has dropped.
Pull happy. Plus as he gets older catching in the heat in Atlanta will be to much for a hundred million.
So all you saying I’m an idiot need to look at Mauer’s hometown contract. Terrible idea to give a catcher that much. Mac will be in Boston or New York soon. Not worth the money.
Great person but his baseball value is not what he will be paid
ChrisfromSacramento,Ca
April 28th, 2012
6:44 pm
Plus do I have to remind you all how bad Mac is every September. He’s done by late August
ChrisfromSacramento,Ca
April 28th, 2012
6:46 pm
Big Lou ,
You must not run a business and have future considerations to consider. Living in the moment!
count_schemula
April 28th, 2012
7:02 pm
What I really need to know is, how does ChrisfromSacramento,Ca feel about McCann?
Ralph
April 28th, 2012
7:02 pm
I keep saying they should let Ross play against most LHP but nobody agrees with me, he would have a lot more in the tank in September. What you might lose in offense you would gain on defense
Ralph
April 28th, 2012
7:11 pm
Chipper out of the lineup again tonight?
74bravesjersey
April 28th, 2012
7:12 pm
Hey Ralph; If , just in case McCann side is strained or worse, would the braves be ready to pull up Bethancourt or Big Guns Gattis.342BA(8hr’s)? I’m sure most likely Bethancourt.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
April 28th, 2012
7:12 pm
Yea Mac remembers that 18 inning game where he injured himself and stayed in the game until the tenth inning, and then hurt himself again in the same game. Lesson learned.
74bravesjersey
April 28th, 2012
7:13 pm
Either one would be sound spotters for Rossi.
Ralph
April 28th, 2012
7:19 pm
74bravesjersey
April 28th, 2012
7:12 pm
I would like to see Gattis replace Diaz. He is a very good catcher plus is being transitioned to play the outfield. That way we would have someome who is truly a catcher and another big bat off the bench.
Ralph
April 28th, 2012
7:26 pm
Gattis is batting .368 and is hitting .455 against lefties.
74bravesjersey
April 28th, 2012
7:31 pm
Agree Ralph; I kinda sense “Evan Almighty” just might catch on solid, especially under the Guidance of our two new hitting guru’s, Big Guns(Gattis) might be the Xtra Big Bopper that would add to our Boppers. I Luv’s me some smart hittin’ & the good ol plate Discipline that our 2 guru’s are helpin’ our lineup take shape with. Ralph, We not bein’ suckers for the Bad pitches & flailin’ away givin’ in to other teams so easy. We adjusted, then they’ll adjust, then we’ll adjust again. Smart offense will go along way’s for a championship if they keep this up!
Ralph
April 28th, 2012
7:37 pm
The Rev should have caught that ball!
Ralph
April 28th, 2012
7:37 pm
The Rev should have caught that ball!
Ralph
April 28th, 2012
7:38 pm
Delgado doesn’t have it tonight!
74bravesjersey
April 28th, 2012
7:39 pm
Hey; Ya’ll Cool Breeze Bloggers, Pull our Bravos through once again, chop em’ up 1 game at a time! Fired up Braves Country! FIRED UP! Selah! The Most Interesting Man says… Stay Thirsty my friends.- Desaki’s (some one help me or correct if I didn’t spell it right-Thanx)
Ralph
April 28th, 2012
7:40 pm
I just hope it doesn’t take Fruti all nite to see what I see now.
Ralph
April 28th, 2012
7:44 pm
We could still salvage this game if Fruti would act.
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
7:50 pm
the big poppers
BRAVES FAN SINCE EVER
April 28th, 2012
7:53 pm
mmmmm bad game for delgado…. time for insert Medlen in starting rotation, move Delgado to the bullpen or back to AAA and call up Varvaro, Flande or Russell…
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
7:55 pm
could be all they need
roy oswalt
April 28th, 2012
8:00 pm
SIGN ME !!!!!! IM BETTER THAN DELGADO
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
8:01 pm
delgotago
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
8:03 pm
well that’s about it for this game.
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
8:05 pm
good he didn;t make that one
Tony C.
April 28th, 2012
8:06 pm
Fredi needs to calm El Panameno down.
STRETCH
April 28th, 2012
8:07 pm
Carroll, i got a feelin McCann is gonna go down again this season. Whats the backup plan after Ross?
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
8:40 pm
Enter your comments here
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
8:55 pm
let’s have a big inning
Tony C.
April 28th, 2012
8:56 pm
yikes! what an ugly inning
NRBQ
April 28th, 2012
8:59 pm
Surely, Fredi has sense enough to pinch-run for Hernandez?
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
9:00 pm
let’s forget a big inning
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
9:02 pm
it will take ball to the wall to score hernandez
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
9:04 pm
work it fred
TBbravesfan
April 28th, 2012
9:05 pm
fre me trying to hit to the wall
JNick
April 28th, 2012
9:40 pm
@STRETCH, if you read the article, the “3rd catcher” is Diaz….anything else, they’d probably call up Boscan – but the problem is, McCann and Ross are the only ones on the roster (even the 40 man) so they’d have to make a move…probably sending Vizcaino to the 60 day DL (not sure why this hasn’t already been done).
RALLY MONKEY : THE NEW GENERATION
April 28th, 2012
9:40 pm
4-2 —————- 3 innings remaining ….. the game is still on tag
COME ON BRAVES COMEBACK AND WIN IT…..
PIRATES= AAA TEAM…..
GAME OVER
April 28th, 2012
9:52 pm
mmmmmm prado grounds into DP ….game over
STUPID MANAGER
April 28th, 2012
9:54 pm
with 3 innings remaining why te stupid gonzalez not advance the runner with 0 outs with sac bunt????
1 run per inning sounds good ,,,but noooo the bottom of the 7th is over ….
STUPID GONZALEZ
greg smoltz
April 28th, 2012
10:01 pm
fredi gonzalez is cuban right???? so why dont play BEISBOL CARIBE?????
hit and run , squeeze plays , sac bunt, stolen bases, every time finding the additional base ….
braveslover
April 28th, 2012
10:55 pm
Chipper loves his right handed swing now but he sits tonight???? He’ll make 14 million dollars playing 75 games and getting 100 bats this year???? He MUST be kin to B of A president…”We deserve to make a profit”. How ’bout giving up 10 mil so we can get a full time catcher, Chip? We’re going to have to play short all year with Chipper taking up space. As tonight showed we’re one injury away from doom. Is Simmpleton getting any work at 3rd in the minors?
Ralph
April 29th, 2012
6:07 am
braveslover
April 28th, 2012. Is Simmpleton getting any work at 3rd in the minors?
10:55PM
Who the hell is Simmpleton, where does he play?
Ralph
April 29th, 2012
6:10 am
I knew in the 2nd inning that Delgado didn’t have it, it was obvious.
gotigers72
April 29th, 2012
11:19 am
BMac has had SO many hits taken away from him the last couple of years due to the extreme shift other teams are playing against him. I wonder if he could get together with the new hitting coaches and do something to make him less pull happy? Pulling and pulling with power is his game, but my goodness he gets a lot of hits taken away. I’m talking ’bout well hit balls too.
Crawford
April 29th, 2012
11:30 am
Lets find some BATS!!!
double
April 29th, 2012
12:12 pm
Errors & Excuses-No errors,delayed excuses.Can’t win them all.Go Braves.