Camargo could join team at start of 9-game road trip

He’s likely to play a couple of games with Single-A squad first.

Johan Camargo could come off the disabled list and join the Braves for their weekend series in chilly Colorado, but first he’ll probably play a game or two in the Florida warmth.

Camargo was set to be the Braves’ opening-day third baseman before he strained an oblique (side) muscle March 13 during a spring-training game. He hasn’t played a game since then and will play at least one game for high Single-A Florida, which opens its season Thursday.

Camargo can be activated Friday, but he might play a couple of games for Florida before he joins the Braves on a three-city, nine-game trip that starts Friday in Colorado and includes series at Washington and Chicago.

“Play nine innings a time or two,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “If something happened and we had to have him, he could come back tomorrow probably and be healthy. It’s just more about playing in a live game.”

The Braves don’t want to rush Camargo and have gotten solid production in the interim from end-of-springtraining signee Ryan Flaherty, a veteran utility man who was 8-for-16 with three doubles in four starts at third base before Tuesday.

“He hasn’t played nine innings,” Snitker said of Camargo, who last played nine innings during winter ball in the Dominican Republic, where he excelled this offseason. “I’d like to see him play a couple of games (at Florida). And I think it’d be good for him, just game-type situations, regardless if it’s the minor leagues. The lights are on, timing and just the fatigue of the ninth innings and all that, I think he needs to do that first.

“He’s probably ready to go nine innings now. If he stayed in Florida, they open Thursday night and he’d be ready to play nine. He’s played five (innings), so he’d be ready to go nine innings Thursday. He feels good and all that, he just hasn’t had real games. Been all practice pretty much. I’d like for him to play a couple of real games.”

Pitcher Morris dealt: The Braves traded pitcher Akeel Morris to the Angels on Tuesday for cash considerations.

The trade came three days after the Braves designated Morris for assignment to open a spot on their 40-man roster when they brought up reliever Josh Ravin, who has since gone on the disabled list with a viral infection. Ravin isn’t expected to be out long.

Morris, 25, had a 2.65 ERA in 36 appearances last season with the Braves’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliate and a 1.23 ERA in eight appearances with the major league team, totaling nine strikeouts and four walks in 71/3 innings with the big club.

The right-hander from the U.S. Virgin Islands is a former Mets prospect whose only previous major league experience was one game with New York in 2015.