ANAHEIM, Calif (AP) - Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who leads the majors with a .414 average, was scratched from the lineup Friday night against the Angels after a freak accident during batting practice.
Jones fouled off a pitch, and the ball ricocheted off the crossbar at the top of the batting cage and struck him just under his eye. The Braves announced that the five-time All-Star suffered a contusion and was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange, where he underwent a CT scan. The results were negative, a team spokesman said.Jones leads Atlanta with 41 RBIs and 15 homers, including the 400th of his career on June 5. The Braves had lost all six of the games he had missed prior to the opener of their first-ever series at Anaheim.
The only other series between the Braves and Angels was in 2005, while Jones was on the disabled list with an injured left foot. Atlanta dropped two of three.
