The Braves recently lost Andrelton Simmons due to a fractured right pinkie finger, so they opened the second half of the season with Jack Wilson as the only healthy shortstop on their roster. And wouldn’t you know it, Wilson ended up getting hurt last night against the Mets.
Wilson was forced to leave the game after suffering a dislocation of the middle joint of his right pinkie finger in the fourth inning while chasing after a ball which deflected off Tim Hudson’s glove. This forced Martin Prado to play shortstop for the first time since 2008. To his credit, Prado actually made a couple of difficult plays, including a nifty backhanded flip to second base on his first chance to end a scoring threat in the fourth.
X-rays came back negative on Wilson’s finger and he’s currently listed as day-to-day, but it’s clear the Braves need to get some shortstop help. Tyler Pastornicky is not considered an option after struggling in his first taste of the big leagues, so the Braves are expected to go outside the organization. Even before the injury to Wilson last night, Braves general manager Frank Wren told David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he is working on a deal.
UPDATE: Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that Pastornicky has been called up from Triple-A Gwinnett. The Braves were giving Pastornicky playing time at second base in recent weeks and plan to turn him into a utility player, but he’ll function as a stopgap option at shortstop for now. Even with Pastornicky up from the minors, Prado is making the start today.