ATLANTA -- Gerald Laird walked into Turner Field, his two-year-old son Brooklyn trailing him, dragging a foam bat behind him.
Laird was hitting the field and while it may have been for whiffle ball during the Braves' family day, the catcher who was activated from the 15-day disabled list Sunday after having kidney stones removed, was simply happy to be wearing an Atlanta uniform again.
"I'm just glad to be back and get things going down the stretch," he said.
Laird, 33, was place don the DL on Aug. 3, retroactive to July 26 and is eligible to return to the lineup whenever necessary, but says there has been no plans laid out with manager Fredi Gonzalez on when he'll play again.
He was taken to the hospital July 28 due to pain while trying to pass the kidney stone. Doctors gave him a few days to pass it on his own before he opted to have the procedure on July 31 to have it removed.
"It lasted for a while and they said it could take a while to pass it through and I thought if that was the case I should just get the surgery done and knock it out in seven or eight days instead of waiting two weeks and then needing the procedure," Laird said.
In bringing back, Laird, who is hitting .293 with a homer and 11 RBI, the Braves opted outfielder Todd Cunningham to Triple-A Gwinnett.
