The Atlanta Braves got the win Thursday, but they also received some unwelcome injury news involving an outfielder they acquired less than two months ago.
Lane Thomas is headed to the 15-day injured list after suffering an intercostal injury on his right side while taking swings in the batting cage before Atlanta’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Thomas had been scheduled to start the game, making the timing particularly disruptive. The injury happened late enough that the Braves had to make an abrupt change to their lineup shortly before first pitch.
Braves Scramble After Thomas Is Scratched
“Lane was obviously a late scratch, right before the game,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “We had some chaos there.”
Brewer Hicklen was called upon to replace Thomas in the lineup. Hicklen went 0-for-2, but Atlanta still managed to finish the night with a 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay.
The injury creates another complication for a Braves team that brought Thomas aboard specifically to strengthen its lineup for the stretch run.
Atlanta acquired the 31-year-old from the Kansas City Royals ahead of the trade deadline, adding another right-handed bat to the roster as the first-place Braves prepared for the final portion of the regular season.
Trade-Deadline Addition Has Struggled in Atlanta
So far, Thomas has struggled to produce consistently with his new club. Through 21 games with Atlanta, he is batting .171 with one home run and three RBIs.
Now any attempt to work through those struggles will have to wait.
Intercostal injuries can be especially troublesome for hitters because the muscles around the ribs and torso are heavily involved in the rotational movement of a swing. Thomas’ placement on the 15-day injured list guarantees that Atlanta will be without him for at least the immediate portion of its schedule.
Braves Still Secure the Victory
For the Braves, the unusual sequence Thursday meant going from expecting Thomas in the starting lineup to scrambling for a replacement shortly before the game.
Hicklen stepped into the opening, and Atlanta’s pitching and offense did enough to secure the series-finale victory despite the sudden adjustment.
The Braves walked away with a 3-1 win, but Thomas’ injury leaves them without one of their trade-deadline additions as the first-place club continues its push through September. What should have been another routine round of pregame batting-cage work instead ended with a late lineup change and a minimum 15-day absence for Thomas.
