Braves' Freeman injures oblique; MRI reveals bone bruise for Simmons
The Atlanta Braves barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief over shortstop Andrelton Simmons' injury before Freddie Freeman was forced to exit the lineup during Monday's night win over the San Francisco Giants.
Freeman suffered a strained right oblique and is listed as day-to-day. He was appearing in his 10th game since sitting out more than five weeks with a wrist contusion.
You'll recall Freeman also dealt with a right oblique strain in April of 2013 which landed him on the DL from April 7-22. #Braves
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) August 4, 2015
The slugging first baseman, who leads the club with 14 homers despite his lengthy stint on the disabled list, has struggled since returning and is 7-for-38 with a pair of blasts and four RBIs.
While the outlook on Freeman is unclear, an MRI exam revealed a bone bruise on Simmons' right thumb. He was hurt while attempting to make a diving catch in Saturday's loss to the Philadelphia Phillies and the initial fear was a fracture.
Simmons on Monday received the team's Heart and Hustle Award, given to the player who best demonstrates passion and top-notch work ethic on and off the field. He's also mired in a slump, collecting two hits in his last 20 at-bats.