Braves Place Kelly Johnson on DL
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Thinkstock(CINCINNATI) — The Atlanta Braves placed utility man Kelly Johnson on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a right oblique strain.
The loss is tough for the Braves considering Johnson has been one of the team’s better hitters this season, swatting six home runs and knocking in 18 runs.
“It stinks when you’re feeling good and something like that happens,” Johnson said. “It’s just the way it is. It’s baseball.”
Johnson suffered the injury during Wednesday night’s loss to the Cincinnati Reds when swinging and missing at the first pitch he saw from the Reds’ Raisel Iglesias. Johnson stuck around for one more pitch, fouling it off, before exiting the game.
Johnson has been serving as the team’s cleanup hitter.
“(Johnson) is a guy who can hit behind (Freddie) Freeman in the lineup and at least give opposing managers some thought about putting Freeman on or pitching around him,” Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez said. “We’ll figure out who will hit behind Freeman.”
The team will recall outfielder Todd Cunningham from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Johnson’s place.
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