Monday, April 21, 2008

Despite injury, Chipper hopeful to play Monday

ATLANTA -- Chipper Jones irritated his strained right quadriceps while running out a double and left the Atlanta Braves' 6-1 victory against Los Angeles on Sunday.

Despite injury, Chipper hopeful to play Monday

Jones

"I'm going to try to [play Monday]," Jones told reporters.

If Jones does play Monday against the Nationals, he will do so with a major league-leading .458 batting average. He also has six home runs and 18 RBIs this season.

Jones woke up Sunday morning with tightness in the muscle. He did extend his hitting streak to 12 games against the Dodgers with a third-inning single before adding a fifth-inning double off the right-field wall. He slid late into second base and was slow to return to his feet.

Jones remained in the game through the inning but was replaced by Martin Prado to start the sixth.

"I just didn't want to take any more chances [than] I had to," Jones told reporters. "It knotted up on me standing around."

Jones added: "The double certainly didn't help. I figured the best thing to do was just shut it down, get some treatment today and tomorrow, and maybe I'll feel better."

Jones tweaked his right quad on April 9 at Colorado and felt more soreness as the Braves' road trip continued in Washington.

Braves manager Bobby Cox said Jones is questionable for Monday night's game but said the injury is "nothing that's going to have him out any length at all."