Outfielder Brandon Jones was recalled from Class AAA Gwinnett to take Anderson's roster spot and was expected to arrive during Friday night's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds.

Anderson's DL assignment was retroactive to Monday, a day after he hurt the quad muscle in a game at Pittsburgh. The 36-year-old veteran has started only six of 16 Braves games because of leg injuries, including a right-calf strain.

Still, a bigger Braves concern is McCann, thought to be progressing past his eye problems after being fitted for a new contact lens Tuesday in Washington.

He played games there Tuesday and Wednesday, going 1-for-6 with two walks.

Dry, windy weather in Cincinnati on Friday might have contributed to the discomfort he had during batting practice. But McCann said the eye didn't feel any better than it had before he got the new contact.

He had experienced blurry vision in the eye since opening day, and last week, during a 1-for-20 slump that dropped his average to .200, McCann was concerned about the prospect of possibly needing more laser-eye surgery --- during the season.

The three-time All-Star had Lasik surgery on both eyes after the 2007 season. He had no vision problems in 2008, hitting .301 with 23 homers and 87 RBIs.

While tests showed his vision was no longer 20-20 in the left eye, McCann hoped the contact lens would get him through the season before more Lasik surgery.

quot;My eye changed a little bit,quot; McCann said Tuesday, after the Washington eye specialist examined him. quot;It's a little bit more nearsighted now than I was when I got the Lasik done. . . . Now it's just a matter of getting used to this contact.quot;

McCann hadn't worn contacts since 2007, until he tried to wear a corrective contact earlier this month. He said he felt that one move when he blinked.

The new contact fit his eye better, he said Tuesday. He said his vision improved right away with it. quot;All it'll be is a couple days to get used to this thing, and it might not even be that long,quot; McCann said.

Three days later, that assessment seemed premature.

Meanwhile, the Braves keep waiting for Anderson to contribute more than sporadic play between injuries. He was a .296 hitter in 14-plus seasons with the Angels. Manager Bobby Cox said again Friday that he still thinks Anderson will be a quot;huge piecequot; for the Braves .

But so far, he hasn't been able to stay in the lineup. He missed much of the Grapefruit League schedule with a calf injury, which he reinjured the first week of the regular season. He has hit .200 (5-for-25) with three doubles and no RBIs.

Matt Diaz has gotten most of the playing time in left field. He might share some of it now with the left-handed hitting Jones, who batted .308 with four doubles, eight RBIs and a .393 on-base percentage in 14 games for Gwinnett.

NEXT FOR Braves

* Who: at Reds

* When: 1:10 p.m. today

* TV; radio: SPSO; 640/96.1