Chipper back in lineup after Smoltz's remarks

[braves guru]

Chipper Jones said he felt pressured to return to the lineup Saturday, one day after the Braves third baseman missed a game with a strained right groin. Pressure not just from the team's three consecutive shutout losses, but from comments by people he believed questioned the severity of his injury. He hit his team-high 13th homer in the fourth inning to snap the Braves' 31-inning scoreless streak.

More...

 

[Chief]

The telling thing is that Cox let him into the lineup. If Cox had any doubt, he wouldn't have played. I don't think it's really fair for Smoltz to imply through the media that Chipper is crying wolf, but at the same time it's obvious that Chipper has become incredibly injury prone the last couple of seasons. I don't think a guy like Smoltz would carelessly mention something like that if he didn't truly think there was an issue.