Marcell Ozuna exited the Braves’ game at Boston on Tuesday night after injuring two fingers on his left hand sliding into third base.
“He dislocated the ring finger and the middle finger,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the game. “So we’re going to send him back to Atlanta to have our doctors look at him and see if anything (more) is going on.”
Snitker said a decision on whether Ozuna will go on the injured list won’t be made until after he is examined by the team’s hand specialist.
“I think we should know, once he gets back there and gets looked at, what the prognosis is,” Snitker said. “He had splints on them (after the game). He wasn’t feeling real bad. ... When you start doing those hand things, those little bones and all, it can get a little tricky. So hopefully it’s just put them back (in place) and he’s a little stiff for a few days.”
The injury occurred in the third inning as Ozuna, who had reached base on an RBI double, was diving toward third base on Ozzie Albies’ fielder’s choice groundout. The ring finger appeared to bend awkwardly as Ozuna’s left hand caught on Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers’ foot.
Ozuna was taken to the training room and replaced in left field by Ehire Adrianza to start the bottom of the third inning.
Ozuna is hitting .213 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs through 48 games this season. Last year, he led the Braves in home runs (18) and RBIs (56) while hitting .338 in the shortened 60-game season.
