ATLANTA (AP) -Another day, another trip to the training room for Chipper Jones.
The Braves third baseman wasn’t in the lineup for Friday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers because of a strained right adductor muscle, the latest in a series of injuries that have plagued the slugger.
Jones apparently sustained the injury, which is in the groin area, during Tuesday’s game against Boston. He attempted to play through it the following night but had to leave after the fifth inning.
The Braves were off Thursday, but the extra time did little to ease the pain.
“It was really bothering him,” manager Bobby Cox said. “It was actually no better today at all. It’s one of those deep groin pulls. It’s going to be a problem.”
Jones is hitting .323 with 12 homers and 27 RBIs, but he’s only been able to play 50 of 74 games. He went on the disabled list after injuring his wrists in a basepaths collision, and now another stint on the DL seems possible.
Jones hasn’t played a full season since 2003. He’s been on the DL four years in a row with a variety of ailments: a hamstring problem three years ago, an injured foot the following season, a strained oblique last year.
Growing more and more testy about his injury woes, Jones declined to speak with the media before Friday’s game. He never came to his locker, remaining in a private area of the clubhouse that is off-limits to reporters.
The Braves, who went into the weekend only 1 1/2 games off the NL East lead, desperately need Jones in the middle of their lineup. Andruw Jones was barely hitting above .200, Jeff Francoeur was mired in a bit of slump and Brian McCann has struggled with an injured left ring finger.
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