Braves’ Freddie Freeman likely to miss extended time with wrist injury

UPDATE: Freeman will miss about 10 weeks with a broken wrist, per an announcement from the Braves.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

ORIGINAL: Braves star first baseman Freddie Freeman will undergo an MRI and CT scan on his left wrist on Thursday, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Though initial tests were inconclusive, FanRag’s Jon Heyman reports that Freeman is expected to miss “significant time” due to his injury.

Though nothing has been announced by the club, there is “real concern” that the wrist is broken, according to Tommy Stokke of FanRag Sports. That type of injury, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, would require an 8-10 week absence.

Freeman, who is hitting a stellar .343/.457/.754 with 14 homers, has been the brightest spot in an otherwise dismal season for the 16-21 Braves this far. An extended absence for the slugger would likely cause Atlanta to continue its downward spiral, forcing it to once again consider trading veteran pieces at the trade deadline late July.

Atlanta does not have an obvious replacement for Freeman at first, though Jace Peterson could see some time at the position. The club recently released veteran Ryan Howard, who was thought to be an insurance policy for Freeman before hitting a miserable .184 in 11 games at Triple-A Gwinnett.