Braves' Snitker: Camargo won't turn shortstop into platoon with Swanson when he returns
ATLANTA -- While there is neither a return date nor a rehab start set for Johan Camargo, Braves manager Brian Snitker was clear about one thing regarding his utility infielder.
Camargo won't be immediately turning the shortstop position into a platoon with Dansby Swanson when he returns from the freak knee injury he suffered Aug. 8.
"Dansby's doing well. He got that opportunity," Snitker said before Friday's opener against the Reds. "We'll just see. There's enough to go around. He can still play a little third, second, short and keep him active and hopefully keep them all going."
Before he suffered a deep bone bruise in his knee while jogging onto the field, the 23-year-old Camargo had made 10 straight starts at shortstop -- and 20 in all -- and racked up 14 out of zone plays in 175 2/3 innings. He'd also played 31 games at third base (2.2 UZR) and another eight at second (19.1 UZR/150).
Of course, third has become Brandon Phillips' spot over the last 14 games. He's been stronger than expected in sliding over to the spot for the first time since a one-game stint in 2001 in Double-A in the Expos system, with two defensive runs saved.
He slid into that spot with the arrival of Ozzie Albies, the organization's No. 2 prospect. The 20-year-old, who is hitting /192/.246/.365, has yet to miss a start since his Aug. 1 call up.
Camargo, slashing .292/.327/.454 on the season, and .295/.347/.489 in 26 games before his injury, had forced his way into the everyday lineup by largely outplaying Swanson -- who was demoted July 26. Swanson has gained momentum with a six-game hitting streak and carrying a .350 average through the Braves' recent seven-game road trip that ended Thursday, but errors continue to be point of concern. He has 15 on the season and committed another in the Braves' 10-4 win over the Rockies in the series finale.
He was estimated to be out 10 days to two weeks, which would put him into next week as a potential return, but as it stands, Camargo has no immediate path back into the everyday starting lineup.
Before Snitker worries about how to juggle what would again be a crowded infield, there's the reality that Camargo has resumed some baseball activities, but remains a aways off from any rehab assignment.
"I think we're still a little ways off as far as putting expectations on him, because he's just hitting off the tee and doing stuff in (the) pool," Snitker said. "... He's got to run around and everything a little bit before we can look at when he might start in minor league. That's still kind of iffy a little bit now."
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney and Facebook. His books, 'Tales from the Atlanta Braves Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest Braves Stories Ever Told,' and 'The Heisman Trophy: The Story of an American Icon and Its Winners.' are now available.
