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Uggla out of lineup due to swollen hand

PITTSBURGH -- After suffering a laceration during last Tuesday's playoff-clinching celebration, Dan Uggla played five consecutive games with three staples on the first knuckle of his right index finger. But when his hand swelled a little more before Monday's game against the Pirates, the Braves took the precautionary route by scratching him from the lineup.

"He never even grabbed a bat, he just played catch," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "[Braves trainer Jeff Porter] said, 'Let's be proactive with this and not make it something worse than it was.'"

Gonzalez entered Monday's game with the mindset that Uggla would be unavailable even in a pinch-hit role. But he said he was hopeful the veteran second baseman would be ready to return to the lineup on Tuesday night.

Uggla suffered the laceration after reaching into a tub of ice to grab a beer during the celebration. He recorded five hits, including a double, in 16 at-bats since the injury.