Evan Gattis to be placed on disabled list with bulging disk
By Brad Rowland
After missing a great majority of the four-game sweep over the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves catcher received some unfortunate news on Monday evening. Both the Braves and Gattis were hoping that the power-hitting catcher could avoid the disabled list, but unfortunately, that was not in the cards as the team announced that he would be headed to the DL in advance of Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets.
Catcher Evan Gattis' MRI revealed that he has a bulging thoracic disk. He will be scheduled to receive an epidural.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 1, 2014
A corresponding roster move will be determined prior to tomorrow's game.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 1, 2014
In order to cover themselves from injury issues, the Braves promoted stud catching prospect Christian Bethancourt over the weekend, and the duo of the rookie and Gerald Laird will assume the catching duties while Gattis is on the shelf. It remains to be seen how long that the 27-year-old will be away, but epidurals are never pleasurable, and Atlanta will have a significant hole in their lineup for the time being.
Evan Gattis has posted a .900 OPS with 16 home runs in just 224 plate appearances this season, and there is little doubt that the Braves are much better off with him in the middle of the lineup. Stay tuned for the latest on his status.