Instead of spending their off day in Philadelphia noshing on cheese steaks, the Braves were taking another look at right-hander Tim Hudson and third baseman Chipper Jones, who left Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Marlins with injuries.
Hudson was lifted after six innings because his right arm felt tight -- the result, he speculated, of throwing more split-finger fastballs than he usually throws. Still, he had thrown a mere 68 pitches at the time. Hudson at least has some time to get treatment and let the arm rest; his next scheduled start would be against the Cardinals in Atlanta on Tuesday. But Jones will be needed in a big way for this weekend's three-game series against the Phillies, and his strained left hamstring is much more of a concern.
Jones pulled up after he had to make an awkward dodge at first base running out a groundball in the fourth inning. Jones and the Braves can only wait through Thursday to see whether the hamstring bleeds out. But a hamstring strain in a position player is nearly always a disabled-list scenario.
Not that the Braves were optimistic about their chances to win the National League East -- they have to pass the Phillies, Mets and Marlins -- but at least there was the remote possibility of reeling off a winning streak with Jones in the lineup. His .369 batting average leads the team, with 55 RBIs and a .466 on-base percentage.
