Braves remain upset with hit
NOTES
About 10 players gathered around the television set in the Atlanta Braves clubhouse before Tuesday’s game, eager to get another look at the hit that sent catcher Johnny Estrada to the hospital.
After an ESPN analyst described the play, pitcher Roman Colon walked away shaking his head.
“He could have gone around him,” Colon said.
The Braves were still upset about the hit delivered by Darin Erstad in the Los Angeles Angels’ 4-2 victory Monday night, and they didn’t waste any time showing their displeasure when he came to bat in the first inning Tuesday.
Horacio Ramirez threw the first pitch behind Erstad, prompting home-plate umpire Lance Barksdale to warn both teams about any further shenanigans.
Estrada sustained a mild concussion when Erstad, a former college football punter at Nebraska, planted his left shoulder into Estrada’s facemask in a violent home-plate collision.
“Braves third baseman Chipper Jones will be sent to a foot specialist in North Carolina to determine the seriousness of the injury that put him on the disabled list.
Jones, who said he’ll be out at least 3-4 weeks, was examined by two doctors in Atlanta and underwent an MRI on his ailing right foot.
Clearing the bases
Detroit shortstop Carlos Guillen, the major league’s third-leading hitter at .359, left in the fifth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers after straining his left hamstring. … Los Angeles placed outfielder Ricky Ledee on the 15-day DL with a strained left hamstring. The move was retroactive to Sunday. … Tampa Bay called up outfielder Reggie Taylor from Triple-A Durham for the start of an interleague series against Cincinnati. Tampa Bay also designated Josh Phelps for assignment. … Danny Graves worked out for the New York Mets and could be close to signing with the team. “We don’t have him yet,” manager Willie Randolph said. “We are in negotiations with the agent,” general manager Omar Minaya said. … Houston first baseman Jeff Bagwell underwent successful surgery on his arthritic right shoulder where several small bone chips were removed, general manager Tim Purpura said in a statement. It is expected to take Bagwell about three months to recover.