Dansby Swanson set to return to Atlanta Braves lineup

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (TNS) — Two weeks after he last played a game, rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson is expected to make a highly anticipated return to the Atlanta Braves’ lineup Saturday against the Detroit Tigers at Champion Stadium.

There will be two weeks and 12 games left in spring training at that point, only two of those games requiring a long bus ride. In other words, there should be time for Swanson, who’s been recovering from back tightness, to shake off any rust and get back into the flow before the regular season.

Swanson said he felt great Thursday morning, and during pregame batting practice he swung with full effort and without favoring the injury.

“He had a good batting practice today, good workout, the whole thing,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, who also hopes to have third baseman Adonis Garcia (sore hamstring) back in the lineup as soon as Saturday. “Adonis did a lot of curve running, so I think he’s going to be OK. I’m not sure when we’re going to play him. Hopefully Dansby can go (Saturday).

“He did defensive workout and all that stuff.”

Swanson has been out since March 4 with tightness in his back and side. Swanson and the Braves said repeatedly that the injury was not significant, and the length of the rest period was longer than it might have been in the regular season. The team wanted him to make sure he was completely recovered, so he wouldn’t aggravate the injury and have it become something that could become a prolonged nagging issue.

Swanson told Snitker that he felt tightness on one side of his back after making several off-balance throws in a March 4 game in which he played more than half the game and had four at-bats. In six Grapefruit League games, he was 7-for-16 with a double, a home run, three walks and a .526 on-base percentage.