ATLANTA -- It didn't take long for the Braves to have further reason to be happy about the fact they opted to keep Chris Stewart around to serve as the third catcher on their Opening Day roster.
Stewart's potential value significantly increased when starting catcher Tyler Flowers suffered a left oblique injury while attempting to complete his first at-bat of the season in Thursday's 8-5 Opening Day win over the Phillies at SunTrust Park.
Braves manager Brian Snitker did not know the extent of the injury as he spoke to reporters after the game. But he indicated there is a strong possibility Flowers could miss far more than just a couple games.
"It didn't look real good," Snitker said. "Those things are nasty, as we know."
Flowers showed some discomfort when he appeared to attempt to check a swing against Aaron Nola during the second inning. He then exited after drawing the attention of the Braves' medical staff with the reaction he made after fouling off a pitch.
Kurt Suzuki will serve as the Braves' primary catcher while Flowers is sidelined. Stewart contemplated retirement before the Braves signed him after Spring Training began. The 36-year-old veteran has since received some coaching offers.
When the Braves opted to place three catchers on their Opening Day roster, they knew there was a strong possibility Stewart would be removed as early as next week. But it now looks like he could spend more time serving as Suzuki's backup.