BRAVES LIVE: Chipper to test knee, hopes to avoid surgery
Chipper Jones is hoping to avoid knee surgery, which would lead him to miss road trip.
(UPDATED: Noon.)
The Chipper Jones medical watch begins in earnest today.
Jones is in the lineup for this afternoon’s game against Houston after missing the last two games with a slight tear in the meniscus cartilage in his right knee. Whether he joins the Braves on their seven-game road trip after today depends on how the knee holds up. Manager Fredi Gonzalez didn’t seem overly concerned after batting practice, but the bottom line is that if Jones’ knee bothers him during the game, there’s a chance he’ll skip the road trip and stay home to have arthroscopic surgery.
“From what I know of that type of injury, you can play with it and you can’t hurt it any more,” Gonzalez said.
Jones and Heyward are back in lineup today.
Translation: Even if the small tear turns into a larger tear, the surgery and rehabilitation would be the same.
Is this worry time? Not yet. Jones was limited to 95 games last season after suffering a torn left ACL. This is only a small tear in the other knee. He received a cortisone shot on Sunday, when he was a late scratch in the series finale against Philadelphia, and said it feels a lot better. If the knee flares up in today’s game, he’ll have arthroscopic surgery and likely miss two to three weeks.
Jones said his knee is mostly irritated when he bats right handed, which he would be doing today against the Astros.
“Right handed is what has irritated it up until this point for the past month,” he said. “There’s not a better time to [test] it than now. We have a lefty today. We’ll know today, probably after the game whether I stay home and have the surgery or go on the road with the club.
“I would rather go out there and test it off a lefty than go out on the road on the West Coast and find out it’s not OK and fly all the way back and get surgery. I’d much rather get it out of the way today. I woke up this morning feeling better than I have in a month. Strap it up and find out.”
Jason Heyward also is back in the lineup today. Here’s the lineup: Martin Prado (7), Heyward (9), Jones (5), Dan Uggla (4), Eric Hinske (3), David Ross (2), Alex Gonzalez (8), Nate McLouth (8) and Derek Lowe (1). Brian McCann is being rested. Gonzalez also wanted to keep Hinske’s bat in the lineup.
By Jeff Schultz
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206 comments Add your comment
Jeff Schultz
May 17th, 2011
3:52 pm
So Heyward walks and Chipper has chance to be the hero.
5150 UOAD
May 17th, 2011
3:53 pm
Prado will replace Chipper at 3rd.
Hedley Lamarr
May 17th, 2011
3:53 pm
Maybe Heyward can end it
Jeff Schultz
May 17th, 2011
3:54 pm
Chipper takes 3 strikes.
FACTS
May 17th, 2011
3:55 pm
Good eye J-Hey…the guy was throwing garbage up there
5150 UOAD
May 17th, 2011
3:55 pm
That was smart. MAYBE. Now Chipper kill it
5150 UOAD
May 17th, 2011
3:56 pm
BAD call on that pitch.
5150 UOAD
May 17th, 2011
3:57 pm
Damnit.
dean
May 17th, 2011
3:57 pm
Crap.
tmc
May 17th, 2011
3:59 pm
Wow! another pitiful AB for Chipper.
I’m sorry, i like the guy but that is absolutely HORRIBLE!
Not even a swing….
FACTS
May 17th, 2011
3:59 pm
Yeah Chipper looked worst than Uggla then
Tom Ram
May 17th, 2011
4:05 pm
I didn’t think it was possible to look worse than Uggla……
dean
May 17th, 2011
4:08 pm
I hate it when works interferes with my weekday day games.
5150 UOAD
May 17th, 2011
4:09 pm
Sacks Drunk with Astros. Damnit.
Jeff Schultz
May 17th, 2011
4:09 pm
Timely 2nd double play keeps game tied. Uggla-Hinske-McCann coming up.
5150 UOAD
May 17th, 2011
4:09 pm
Way to get out of it. Good Defense.
tmc
May 17th, 2011
4:10 pm
In perfect bad team fashion, the Astros are handing us this game…
Can we take it or just continue to struggle at the plate?
Tom Ram
May 17th, 2011
4:10 pm
Lets hurry up and get Uggla’s strikeout out of the way and then get something going……..
Jim Bob
May 17th, 2011
4:11 pm
FACTS, Prado has a higher average, more HR’s, more RBI’s, higher SLG % and higher OPS that McCann. And 3x as many runs scored. Is that more consistent for you?
Tom Ram
May 17th, 2011
4:12 pm
Dan Uggla = Easy Out
NorCal Brave
May 17th, 2011
4:12 pm
If we somehow win this game, it will be a true gift.
BTW, Tito Francona was Terry’s dad. Played for Indians late 50’s, early 60’s.
dean
May 17th, 2011
4:13 pm
Brian. Run for President.
Jeff Schultz
May 17th, 2011
4:15 pm
Mac with a walk-off jack after he tied it with pinch hit HR.
5150 UOAD
May 17th, 2011
4:15 pm
Thats the way yes thats the way I LIKE it.
dachino860
May 17th, 2011
4:15 pm
MAC!!!!
5150 UOAD
May 17th, 2011
4:16 pm
Mama said KNOCK YOU OUT.
FACTS
May 17th, 2011
4:16 pm
Hey Joey!
Does that answer your question about the bone fide All-Star McCann or Prado…..LOL
Hedley Lamarr
May 17th, 2011
4:16 pm
Unbelievable
tmc
May 17th, 2011
4:18 pm
Thanks B-Mac!
For those who rip McCann on this blog….
I will continue to bring up this game.
We lose if not for B-Mac. Those were two H-U-G-E hr’s.
K.C. Frenchy
May 17th, 2011
4:18 pm
Great for Mac, but sad that we need his heroics to beat the sorry Astros, Go Bravos
NorCal Brave
May 17th, 2011
4:18 pm
Mac was definitely due. GREAT WIN!
FACTS
May 17th, 2011
4:19 pm
Jim Bob
As stated to Joey the consistency over the last 4 years is what I was addressing sir & appearances in All- Star games
FACTS
May 17th, 2011
4:21 pm
Also Brians ability to deal with our pitching staff year in & year out!
ijudgenot
May 17th, 2011
4:21 pm
Its official Brian McCann is now the Braves leader not Chipper Jones!
Kashi
May 17th, 2011
4:22 pm
Lets talk about McCann salary after 2012. Can we keep him in Atlanta? Boston Red Sox will spend $$$$ to grab him from us.
extremus
May 17th, 2011
4:22 pm
Wow, BIG win for the Braves going into a road game-heavy stretch. They needed both of those wins against Houston badly to keep their momentum of late.
dean
May 17th, 2011
4:22 pm
Dammit co-workers. THIS IS BASEBALL! Give me a dadgum break!
Tom Ram
May 17th, 2011
4:22 pm
Why are you guys arguing over McCann and Prado. They are both all-stars. It’s not like they’re sorry players like Dan Uggla is.
Joey
May 17th, 2011
4:24 pm
Hey, FACTS, I’m a Mac fan. He has a knack for clutch hitting, his bases-loaded outs lately notwithstanding. I did say baseball player. Defense is not Mac’s strong suit.
Prado seems to be stellar at D wherever he plays, as seen last night by the lay flat out, throw from the knees play at 3rd.
He also is a clutch hitter IMO.
Great win!
Go Braves!
Oger
May 17th, 2011
4:28 pm
Way to go Mac! But Gonzo turning that dp was huge as well!! Been doing it all year. Uggla will heat up. But if we want to get serious we need Moylan back!
Oger
May 17th, 2011
4:28 pm
Enter your comments here
Herschel Talker
May 17th, 2011
4:29 pm
God bless Brian McCann
FACTS
May 17th, 2011
4:30 pm
Not arguing Tom Ram
Brian may be the NL starter a catcher at the AS game where as Prado may be a reserve even if his stats are better Brian has built up a nice following around the league…as someone just blogged after 2012 the Braves will be hard pressed to keep him…..that is why my first statement was about him being a shoo-in due to consistency
FACTS
May 17th, 2011
4:32 pm
Hey Joey
Completly agree about D B-Mac could improve throwing out runners….all in all he does block balls well & manages his guys on the mound if they worth anything i.e. Kawakami heck Johnny Bench couldn’t help that guy out!!!!
ijudgenot
May 17th, 2011
4:34 pm
Its really not Uggla’s fault, he is what he is a dead pull hitter. Who can hit a mistake center /in a long ways. The Braves knew this when they got him. They should have gotten him some protection from the right side. If you are a left handed pitcher, who from the right side behind Uggla puts fear in your heart? So they don’t mind walking Uglla by throwing everything outside. Uggla is an sggressive hitter so he strikesout a lot trying to pull that outside pitch rather than walking like Glaus did last year.The Glaus of May 2010 behind Uglla this year would be great, but thats a year too late.
Tom Ram
May 17th, 2011
4:35 pm
Sorry Facts…but whats your point ?
Joey
May 17th, 2011
4:38 pm
I’m glad we got em both!
FACTS
May 17th, 2011
4:39 pm
Tom Ram
My point was I think can pencil in B-mac as NL starting catcher for the AS game, Prado may light it up & lead our team in every offensive category & get snuffed from the AS game
Frustrated, Inc.
May 17th, 2011
4:45 pm
On the highlights what was the Astros Manager complaining about immediately following McCann’s walk off?
Joey
May 17th, 2011
4:51 pm
“Prado may light it up & lead our team in every offensive category & get snuffed from the AS game.”
You know what, FACTS?
That’s why I don’t value the All Star designation at all. It’s worse than a beauty pageant, because fans can stuff the ballotsfor players who aren’t even very good anymore (see Derek Jeter).