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Tyler Flowers joins Braves' early-season list of injury setbacks
ATLANTA — Two swings into his encore effort, Tyler Flowers joined the early-season injury list.
The standout veteran catcher, who turned in career-bests in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging last season, exited Thursday’s season opener with a left oblique strain after dealing with groin soreness late in spring training. The Braves placed Flowers on the 10-day disabled list on Friday.
“On the first swing of the at-bat I felt it. Having never had it before I was hoping that it was something different," Flower said. "There was a discomfort, pain, burn — intense burn. I don't know what I was hoping for I was just hoping that it was something different. ... I knew it was something serious."
Flowers mentioned he will first need to become pain-free in everyday activities, such as walking and breathing, before slowly graduating to athletic movements and baseball activities.
The injury leaves the Braves shorthanded at catcher, third base (Johan Camargo), left field (Ronald Acuña Jr.), in the starting rotation (Luiz Gohara) and in the bullpen (Chase Whitley) to open the 2018 campaign. Atlanta selected the contract of another reliever, Miguel Socolovich, to immediately fill Flowers' roster spot.
For a franchise still addressing needs on its big-league roster — not to mention stocking its organizational depth — injuries can exacerbate flaws. Losing a top-five position player from last year’s roster in Game No. 1, even if it's a short stint, somewhat tarnishes an otherwise thrilling Opening Day capped by cleanup hitter Nick Markakis’ first career walk-off home run.
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Atlanta opened the season with three catchers on the roster — and utilized all three on Thursday night.
Kurt Suzuki, who served as Flowers’ extra-productive platoon mate in 2017, stepped in for his injured teammate in the second inning and newcomer Chris Stewart, a longtime Pirates defense-first option behind the plate, entered the game late after Snitker sent a pinch-runner in the eighth inning. Suzuki turned in his own career year by slashing .283/.351/.536 with 19 home runs in 309 plate appearances, and the team will look to the 35-year-old, who reached base twice on Opening Day, to carry them in the interim.
Still, Flowers is a vital piece to the puzzle, one half of the best catching duo in baseball per FanGraphs wins above replacement in 2017 and the game's top pitch-framer.
"I've had teammates over the years that try and rush it and get back and they end up dealing with it for the entire season," Flowers said. "I definitely don't plan on doing that. I think we'll be as aggressive as we can be, but I don't want this to turn into multiple months when it could be something significantly shorter if we kinda take our time throughout the process."
The setback creates another early-season obstacle as Atlanta faces division opponents in 16 of its first 22 games, none of which come against the projected cellar-dwelling Miami Marlins.
The comeback win against Philadelphia showcased a group of players who somehow made come-from-behind victories commonplace in a 72-win season, but the Phillies will be kicking themselves after building a 5-0 lead behind Aaron Nola’s dominance only to squander it behind poor defensive work, spotty relief pitching and bullpen mismanagement.
Though Camargo and Whitley are eligible to re-join the roster next week, Gohara could miss over a month and now Flowers out indefinitely. Throw in Acuña's delayed promotion and it will be a while before Snitker is dealing from a full deck of cards.
