Strained left hamstring ends J-Up's night

DENVER -- After contributing a single to the Braves' seven-run first inning at Coors Field on Tuesday night, left fielder Justin Upton served as a bystander for the remainder of his team's 13-10 win over the Rockies.

Upton strained his left hamstring as he sprinted toward first after his liner deflected off the glove of right-hander Juan Nicasio. He remained in the game and scored on Tommy La Stella's single but was replaced by Jordan Schafer in the field when the bottom half of the inning began.

"I just didn't want to take a chance of running him out there in this big field and making something that small worse than it was," manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Upton moved through the clubhouse after the game in relatively normal fashion, and he hopes to return to the lineup by the time this four-game series concludes on Thursday.

"I don't know how I'm going to feel tomorrow," Upton said, "but I'm optimistic that it's not anything too serious."