X-rays negative, d'Arnaud day to day

ATLANTA -- Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud left Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Braves in the sixth inning after a collision at home plate with Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski. X-rays were negative, and d'Arnaud was diagnosed with a hyperextended left elbow, the team said.

d'Arnaud said after the game that he was keeping the possibility of playing in Sunday's finale open.

"It just feels swollen," he said. "I'm sure a couple ice treatments and I'll be good."

On a fly ball to left fielder Michael Cuddyer, Pierzynski tagged from third and headed home. Cuddyer's throw brought d'Arnaud up the third-base line and as he went to tag Pierzynski, the Atlanta catcher ran through the tag, throwing back d'Arnaud's left arm in the process.

d'Arnaud had to come out of the game after the play, but left the field under his own power. Pierzynski was safe at the plate, as d'Arnaud wasn't able to hold onto the ball through the contact, and the Braves took a lead.

Video: NYM@ATL: d'Arnaud's solo homer ties the game

"You never want to see anybody get hurt," said Pierzynski, who stayed near home plate until d'Arnaud walked off the field. "It was just a weird play because it took him up the line and there was nothing either one of us could do. I'm just glad he's OK."

Mets manager Terry Collins said that he was relieved when he heard it was a hyperextended elbow, instead of something with the catcher's shoulder.

d'Arnaud came off the DL on June 10, returning from a fractured right pinkie, suffered in April.

"I thought the shoulder was gone for sure," Collins said. "I thought he could have dislocated his shoulder, so the hyperextended elbow -- I know they hurt, but we have tape. And those things you can take care of it. I know in an emergency, if we need him tomorrow, he'll be available, but right now we'll just wait and see how he is."

In the Mets clubhouse after the game, d'Arnaud described the injury as "pretty painful," but said he was more frustrated about not being able to hang onto the ball.

Video: NYM@ATL: d'Arnaud's two-run single starts the scoring

"I wanna keep what I was thinking in my own head … it was negative," d'Arnaud said. "A lot of negative thoughts were going through my head, and I'm just very fortunate that it was not as serious as I was thinking."

Collins said that if the team needed d'Arnaud he would be available Sunday, but with an off-day Monday, sitting for the game would give the 26-year-old an additional day of rest.

After hitting a two-run single and a solo shot on Saturday, d'Arnaud has hit .296 with an .873 OPS in just 77 plate appearances with New York this season.