Atlanta Braves’ Brian McCann to remain out until his knee gets better – MLB News
Tendinitis in his right knee is not allowing the Atlanta Braves’ catcher Brian McCann to keep playing regularly. Since the beginning of the second half of the season, he has played intermittently. Thus, the offensive leverage that he is capable of providing
to the team has not been enjoyed by the Braves.
In light of the inflammation in his knee, the replacements for doing the catching job have been called up by the Braves now.
J.C. Boscan is on roster now as part of the September expansion. Along with David Ross, he will be carrying out the catching responsibility in the absence of McCann.
McCann right now is not in a position to squat comfortably which means he can act as a pinch hitter for as long as catching is not possible for him.
As a hitter, he means a lot for the Braves. Along with Chipper Jones and Jason Heyward, he is known for leading run-rampages and ensuring stunning victories for the team.
While he has lacked consistency so far in the season, his contributions however have occasionally been useful for the team.
Most of the high scoring games enjoyed by the Braves in the season have seen McCann stepping up.
The greatest advantage he brings for the team is his ability to slam massive hits during crucial stages of the games. In this respect, his significance during the play-offs will be immense.
For the same reason Braves’ manager Fredi Gonzalez has elaborated that he will send him on the plate as a pinch-hitter if the issue of his knee is not resolved.
“Definitely at least a couple more days before (McCann) can actually squat, but if he’s OK swinging the bat, we’ll use him,” Fredi Gonzalez said.
McCann will be undergoing batting practice in the days ahead. He will be trying to swing and react to the pitches appropriately. If he can manage hitting comfortably then despite not catching he can turn out to be an amazing contributor for Atlanta.
Ideally he will be looking to get rid of the tendinitis in his knee and make himself available as a full-time player for the team.
It will be interesting to see if he can play a decisive role for Atlanta in upcoming games.
Tags: