Atlanta Braves third baseman Chris Johnson is not in the team's lineup for Sunday's regular season finale as he deals with a jammed right shoulder, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Johnson suffered the injury while making a diving play on Thursday. In two games since, he has picked up just one hit, a solo home run.
The Braves say Johnson being out of the lineup has nothing to do with the dugout altercation between him and first base coach Terry Pendleton last night. The two reportedly got in a heated argument after Johnson slid head-first into first base, then threw his batting helmet in frustration upon arriving in the dugout.
Johnson is second in the National League in hitting, trailing Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer by 12 points. After a hot start, he has cooled down with a .286/.320/.438 line since the beginning of August.
The Braves are playing for National League supremacy on Sunday as they enter the day a game behind St. Louis for the best record in the league. By virtue of a 4-3 head-to-head record over the Cardinals, an Atlanta win and St. Louis loss would give the Braves the top playoff seed in the National League.
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