First, the good news.
According to the Braves’ official Twitter account, catcher Brian McCann has been activated from the disabled list and will return to Atlanta’s starting lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Cubs.
He went 2-for-6 with a home run and two RBI in a two-game minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett. The All-Star backstop wound up missing 18 days with a strained left oblique muscle.
McCann, 27, is batting .306/.375/.514 with 18 home runs, 15 doubles and 55 RBI through 373 plate appearances this season for the National League Wild Card-leading Braves. He should have no trouble picking up where he left off.
Now, the sour news.
According to the same official Braves tweet, right-hander Tommy Hanson has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. The move was made retroactive to August 7, so he probably won’t be out long, but the news arrives as further confirmation that the 24-year-old ace is having physical problems.
Hanson has registered a sparkling 3.60 ERA and 142 strikeouts in 130 innings this year, but his July ERA was a bloated 4.58 and he allowed seven runs on eight hits in his only August start. Maybe the rest will help.
The Braves activated reliever Scott Linebrink from the disabled list and optioned Anthony Varvaro back to Triple-A Gwinnett in corresponding roster moves. Atlanta currently leads the Wild Card by five games.