Braves Baseball
Giles injury not so bad
MIAMI - The Braves say an M-R-I performed on second-baseman Marcus Giles' left knee was negative, meaning he could get back in action this weekend.
Giles returned from Miami to Atlanta yesterday to have the test after being hurt in Tuesday night's season-opener against the Marlins.
The Braves say the M-R-I determined that he had a deep bone bruise. He wants to play in tomorrow night's home opener, but team officials says it is more likely that he will return on Sunday or Monday.
Pete Orr made his first career start last night and will continue filling in at second base. Orr singled for his first major-league hit leading off the third last night. He advanced on a sacrifice and came home on a two-out single by Chipper Jones to make the score 1-all.
http://www.wtoctv.com/Global/story.asp? ... v=0qq9YPJQ
Giles returns to Atlanta for MRI
Results show no serious damage to left knee
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
MIAMI -- When Marcus Giles awoke on Wednesday morning with a swollen and stiff left knee, it was thought that the miserable events of the previous 24 hours might have a lingering effect on the Braves.
Fortunately, they won't in relation to Giles.
Using precaution, the Braves opted to send Giles back to Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon to have an MRI performed on his knee. The results were negative -- it was determined that he had a deep bone bruise, meaning that he could return to action this weekend.
"I don't know if he's flying back tomorrow or not," said manager Bobby Cox said after Wednesday's 13-inning victory over the Marlins at Dolphins Stadium. "He probably can't play, but he's fine, in that respect. There's nothing torn or broken."
The Braves weren't surprised at all to hear that there wasn't any ligament damage. However, there was more swelling than they expected on Wednesday morning, and they simply thought it would be best to take precautionary measures.
Giles has asked team officials if he could play in Friday's home opener, but it's more likely that he'll return on either Sunday or Monday.
In the meantime, Pete Orr, who made his first career start on Wednesday night, will continue filling in for Giles.
"We were talking yesterday about him and [Furcal] being the fuel [to the offense]," said Orr. "So the sooner we get him back, the better."
After hurting his knee while sliding into second base in Tuesday's 9-0 Opening Day loss to the Marlins, Giles gutted through another five innings. It was as if he wanted to do anything to prevent having the "injury prone" label stuck upon him.
Giles was unable to make his start in the 2003 All-Star Game because he suffered a concussion just four days before the game. He sustained a major ankle injury in his 2002 rookie season, and last year missed two months with a broken collarbone.
"It didn't take Gilly long -- a half of an inning," said Cox.
Because Cox could halfheartedly offer this humorous line, it was apparent that he was hopeful that the results of the MRI would be negative and that the Braves would find something positive to pull from their painful Opening Day experience against the Marlins.
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/arti ... p&c_id=mlb