Pittsburgh --- Nine games into his career, Braves rookie Jordan Schafer has experienced compressed versions of highs and lows that young hitters face frequently in the major leagues.
The 22-year-old center fielder was 1-for-15 with 10 strikeouts in the past four games before Friday after going 8-for-19 with two doubles and two home runs in the first five games. He believed he knew why after going over videotape and talking to hitting coach Terry Pendleton.
"Just stop trying to hit the ball 800 feet, and stop trying to pull the ball," Schafer said before Friday's series opener against the Pirates. "I got [carried away] because I hit two bombs, and stopped being myself.
"Today, I just tried to hit line drives to the shortstop [in batting practice]. Get me back on track."
After hitting .421 through the season's first five games, Schafer's recent whiff-a-thon dropped his average to .265 and his on-base percentage to .324 entering Friday.
With shortstop Yunel Escobar out of the lineup Friday after straining an abdominal muscle, Schafer and right fielder Jeff Francoeur are the only Braves to start every game so far.
Schafer led the National League with 14 strikeouts in 34 at-bats before Friday, twice as many strikeouts as any other Braves player and nearly one-fourth of the team's total (58).
"I'll be fine," Schafer said. "I just have to get back to my approach. We went over some stuff. [Pendleton] said the same thing --- stay on top of the ball, no reason to swing big. I'm just going to have to try to make adjustments faster. I can't wait a whole series like I did against [the Marlins]."
Manager Bobby Cox is known for his patience, particularly with young players. When Kelly Johnson was a rookie in 2005, he went 1-for-30 in his first 11 games.
Cox kept playing him, and Johnson hit .353 (24-for-68) with five homers and 19 RBI in his next 17 games.
Thumb keeps Chipper sidelined
Chipper Jones' bruised left thumb kept him out of the lineup for a third consecutive game Friday, and the third baseman was joined on the bench by Escobar.
Escobar strained an abdominal muscle late in Thursday's game while doing a hop that he --- and he alone --- performs in the on-deck circle before each at-bat. Cox said Thursday that he expected Escobar to miss at least a few games, but the shortstop had hoped to play as early as Friday. That didn't happen.
"Maybe tomorrow," Cox said Friday. "He's day-to-day."
So is Jones, who reported less swelling and bruising in his thumb and hand since Thursday. He said that while might be possible to pinch-hit Friday or today, he was aiming to return to the lineup Sunday against Pirates left-hander Zach Duke.
The hand doesn't bother the switch-hitter as much when he's batting right-handed.
