Brian McCann Exits Braves Game Against Marlins With Knee Soreness
By Karl Rasmussen
Brian McCann, much to the dismay of Braves fans, left Tuesday's game against the Marlins after experiencing knee soreness.
The move was described as precautionary, so it shouldn't be too concerning, though his injury history, particularly to do with his knees, is something worth mentioning. McCann was sidelined two months in 2018 after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
C Brian McCann was removed from tonight's game as a precaution with left knee soreness.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 21, 2019
Hopefully this was truly a precautionary move, because Atlanta isn't exactly loaded with depth behind the plate. After McCann, Tyler Flowers is the team's next option at backstop, but they'd have to dip into the minors for additional depth.
McCann is slashing .265/.337/.424 this season with 10 home runs and 39 RBI across 72 games. The 35-year-old hasn't played more than 100 games since 2016, and doesn't seem likely to surpass that threshold in 2019.
With Brian McCann leaving tonight's game with an injury, Alex Jackson was just removed from Gwinnett's game in Norfolk. #Braves @680TheFan
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) August 21, 2019
It looks as if Alex Jackson will be called up to serve as the backup catcher in McCann's stead. At Triple-A Gwinnett, Jackson has clubbed 25 home runs and driven in 57 runs, so he's no slouch at the plate, though he does struggle to hit for average, slashing just .225/.337/.424.