Braves' McCann won't start wild card game
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann won't start Friday's wild card playoff game against the St. Louis Cardinals because of a nagging hamstring injury.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez revealed his lineup for the one-game playoff, saying David Ross would be the catcher in place of the ailing McCann.
"Mack is beat up," said Gonzalez on Thursday. "He's banged up. The one game series, you go with (Ross)."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}If the Braves beat the Cardinals on Friday, they would advance to a Division Series matchup against Washington, starting Sunday.
"I think going forward, I think Mack will catch, obviously in a longer series, a five-game series or a seven-game series if we get that far," Gonzalez added.
McCann went 2-for-2 in the regular-season finale against Pittsburgh on Wednesday and finished the campaign with 20 homers, 67 runs batted in and a .230 batting average in 121 games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ross batted .256 with nine homers and 23 RBI in 62 games this season.