ATLANTA (AP)—Martin Prado(notes) returned from the disabled list Friday and
started at third base for the Atlanta Braves against Washington on Friday night.

Prado played eight games in his minor league rehabilitation and missed five
weeks with a staph infection in his right calf.

Prado, a fill-in All-Star starter at second base last season before moving
to third base, opened this season as the starting left fielder. He is expected
to fill in at third base for at least two weeks as Chipper Jones(notes) recovers from
arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee.

Prado, who hit second against the Nationals, said he wasn’t expecting to
immediately return to top form.

“It’s probably going to take a couple games, but I’m happy I can do
everything and start playing,” Prado said.

Jones said he had “that heavy leg feeling” on Friday after a workout that
included 10 40-yard sprints. He said he hopes to be ready the first day he is
eligible to come off the disabled list on July 24.

Jones said his workout was a stiff test so soon after his surgery.

“I’m feeling it now,” he said. “But I want to know what I can do. … I
was pleasantly surprised with all but about my first two or three 40s.”

Prado is hitting .277 with eight homers and 33 RBIs.

Meanwhile, right-hander Peter Moylan(notes) played catch Thursday for the first
time since having surgery to repair a bulging disc in his lower back in May.
Moylan said he hopes to return in 4 to 6 weeks.

The Braves optioned infielder Brandon Hicks(notes) to Triple-A Gwinnett.

HOUSTON (AP) — Atlanta left fielder Martin Prado was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a staph infection in his right calf.

Prado had a procedure in Atlanta on Friday to clean out the infection. He is being treated with antibiotics.

He was examined by doctors from the Marlins in Florida and they sent him to Atlanta on Thursday night so he could prepare for Friday’s procedure.

“I think that our trainers and the Marlins’ doctors that saw him in Florida and our doctors in Atlanta I think got it in the beginning stages of it and now it’s just a matter of pumping him with some antibiotics and some fluids and getting him healthy,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said he thinks the infection stemmed from a skin burn Prado got from a slide. The manager said it was a bit surprising how fast it went from being a relatively minor problem to a staph infection.

“On Tuesday he’s getting treated for a … raspberry and then just that quickly that thing turned from just being a raspberry to being a pretty serious infection,” Gonzalez said. “I think our people got on it pretty early and took care of it. So hopefully we got it early enough for it not to be worse than what it could be.”

Prado missed Atlanta’s previous two games with a sore left knee. The move is retroactive to Wednesday.

Prado is batting .277 with eight homers and 33 RBIs this season.

Infielder Brandon Hicks was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to take his roster spot. Hicks was scheduled to arrive in Houston on Friday night. Gonzalez said Hicks, who was batting .252 with eight homers and 18 RBIs, can play second base, third base and shortstop.

Also on Friday, outfielder Jason Heyward, who is on the disabled list with a right shoulder injury, took swings off a tee for the first time since he was injured. Gonzalez said it’s too soon to say when he will return, but that he felt good after taking 70 swings.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

HOUSTON (AP) — Atlanta left fielder Martin Prado was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a staph infection in his right calf.

Prado had a procedure in Atlanta on Friday to clean out the infection. He is being treated with antibiotics.

He was examined by doctors from the Marlins in Florida and they sent him to Atlanta on Thursday night so he could prepare for Friday’s procedure.

“I think that our trainers and the Marlins’ doctors that saw him in Florida and our doctors in Atlanta I think got it in the beginning stages of it and now it’s just a matter of pumping him with some antibiotics and some fluids and getting him healthy,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said he thinks the infection stemmed from a skin burn Prado got from a slide. The manager said it was a bit surprising how fast it went from being a relatively minor problem to a staph infection.

“On Tuesday he’s getting treated for a … raspberry and then just that quickly that thing turned from just being a raspberry to being a pretty serious infection,” Gonzalez said. “I think our people got on it pretty early and took care of it. So hopefully we got it early enough for it not to be worse than what it could be.”

Prado missed Atlanta’s previous two games with a sore left knee. The move is retroactive to Wednesday.

Prado is batting .277 with eight homers and 33 RBIs this season.

Infielder Brandon Hicks was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to take his roster spot. Hicks was scheduled to arrive in Houston on Friday night. Gonzalez said Hicks, who was batting .252 with eight homers and 18 RBIs, can play second base, third base and shortstop.

Also on Friday, outfielder Jason Heyward, who is on the disabled list with a right shoulder injury, took swings off a tee for the first time since he was injured. Gonzalez said it’s too soon to say when he will return, but that he felt good after taking 70 swings.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves’ opening day is still more than two months away, but the players are already hitting the streets to get fans excited about baseball. It’s called the Braves Country Caravan and it’s coming to a school, hospital or business near you.

The caravan will make 40 stops in five states covering more than 3,000 miles in just a couple of weeks. The caravan is a chance for the players, coaches and front office staff to get face-to-face with Braves fans all over the southeast, and sometimes it’s hard to tell who is having the most fun.

Braves pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Valentine’s Day, February 14.

The caravan was in Athens Friday and will head west to Alabama on Saturday, with stops in both Montgomery and Auburn.

Braves bring players for autograph ops012311news7Athens Banner-Herald The Atlanta Braves will bring a handful of players – including Athens native Brian McCann – to town Friday for autograph and photo opportunities.

Braves bring players for autograph ops

The Atlanta Braves will bring a handful of players – including Athens native Brian McCann – to town Friday for autograph and photo opportunities.

The 2011 Braves Country Caravan will make stops across the state, pulling over in Athens to allow fans to meet McCann, Brandon Beachy, David Ross, Roger McDowell and Braves GM Frank Wren.

The Braves will be at Academy Sports + Outdoors, 3505 Atlanta Highway, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Sunday, January 23, 2011 report an error