The Braves miss Freddie Freeman's bat in the lineup. (Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves desperately need first baseman Freddie Freeman’s bat in the lineup.
It won’t happen, though, on Friday, when he is first eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list.
“I think it’s going to be a little longer. Not quite sure how much longer,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said Tuesday. “It’s just not improving.”
Freeman, the Braves’ only true power threat, tweaked his right wrist on a swing against the New York Mets on June 14, but played through the discomfort until he had to come out of a game against Boston on June 17.
The left-handed hitter received a platelet-rich plasma injection and hoped to miss only a couple of games.
Instead, the wrist contusion landed him on the disabled list June 23, retroactive to June 18.
“They’ve tried a little different treatment on it,” Gonzalez said. “Hopefully one of those treatments works and get him going.”
Freeman was batting .299 and, most importantly, leading the team with 12 homers and 41 RBIs.
In 11 games without Freeman, the Braves have scored 22 runs after averaging four runs per game previously.
“He’s frustrated,” Gonzalez said. “He’s pushing all he can to get himself back on the field.”
