According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Brian McCann will begin a minor league rehab assignment tonight with Triple-A Gwinnett.
McCann hasn’t played since straining his left oblique during the extra-innings marathon against the Pirates back on July 26. While he originally hoped to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday and return from the disabled list tonight, the Braves ultimately decided to go the conservative route.
McCann is set to serve as the designated hitter tonight and will likely catch at least one game this weekend before being activated from the disabled list. The Braves hope to have him back in their starting lineup when they begin a four-game series against the Giants next week.
McCann, 27, is batting .306/.375/.514 with 18 homers, 55 RBI and an .889 OPS over 373 plate appearances this season. David Ross, known as one of the better backup catchers in the league, is batting just .196/.260/.304 with one home run and a 16/4 K/BB ratio over 52 plate appearances during his absence.