Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported yesterday that Atlanta Braves all-world third baseman Chipper Jones has a torn meniscus in his left knee which will require surgery. What’s more is that Bowman said Jones sustained the injury while running in the outfield just before his press conference Thursday in which he declared he would retire following the 2012 season.
You can’t make this stuff up.
Torn meniscus doesn’t sound like something that you’re going to make a speedy recovery from, especially at the age of 39. However, Jones suffered a similar injury in his right knee last season and was only forced to miss a few weeks. For this reason, Atlanta is hoping that Jones will be ready to go when their April 13home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers rolls around.
In Jones’s absence, the Braves will turn to Martin Prado as their third baseman.
General manager Frank Wren told David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was already “looking to acquire” a backup outfielder even before Jones became injured, so he will continue to do so. O’Brien mentioned free agent Johnny Damon as an outfield option, though he admitted he didn’t know if the Braves have any interest in the veteran.
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