Bruce day to day with hamstring tightness

ATLANTA -- The Phillies cannot afford to lose any more outfielders, but they lost another Saturday night at SunTrust Park.

Jay Bruce left the game in the fourth inning of a 6-5 comeback victory over the Braves because of tightness in his left hamstring. Bruce said afterward that it had been bothering him for the past two or three days, but when he could not score from first base on Scott Kingery’s double in the third inning he knew he needed to say something. Bruce and the Phillies said it is a day-to-day situation.

“I got to the point where, I felt like if I did try, I thought I might actually injure it instead of it just being tight,” Bruce said. “Kind of take tomorrow and we'll see, but I don't anticipate it being longer than a day or two.”

It would be welcome news if Bruce misses only a day or two. He is batting .308 with five homers and 13 RBIs in 11 games with the Phillies, who acquired him on June 2 in a trade with the Mariners. He won National League Player of the Week honors last week.

The Phillies are lacking outfielders at the moment. Andrew McCutchen sustained a season-ending tear to the ACL in his left knee earlier this month. He had surgery this week. Odubel Herrera is on administrative leave as Major League Baseball investigates an alleged domestic violence incident that happened last month in Atlantic City, N.J. Roman Quinn is on the 10-day injured list. He could rejoin the team soon, although he got hit on the left shoulder with a pitch Friday night in Double-A Reading. Rookie Adam Haseley is on the IL with a strained left groin. Dylan Cozens could miss the remainder of the season following surgery on his left foot.

“A mild left hamstring [injury],” manager Gabe Kapler said about Bruce. “We’ll play this one cautiously.”