Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia dealing with abscessed tooth

Orlando Arcia was not in Tuesday’s lineup for the series opener against the Giants at Truist Park. Zack Short was at shortstop and batting ninth.

The reason for Arcia’s absence will make your mouth hurt.

Arcia has an abscessed tooth, Braves manager Brian Snitker said hours before Tuesday’s game. Snitker said Arcia was getting his tooth abscess worked on.

Snitker couldn’t say whether Arcia would be in the lineup Wednesday. “We’ll see,” he said about it.

A week before this, Arcia missed two games after leaving because of dizziness. He didn’t appear to be feeling well.

A tooth abscess is brutal luck for Arcia.

“He probably wishes he was under the weather rather than have something like that,” Snitker said Tuesday of Arcia’s abscessed tooth.

The Braves found out about Arcia’s tooth Tuesday. Snitker said Arcia’s wife alerted the team.

“I didn’t ask if it was bothering him (Monday) or something,” Snitker said. “It could’ve been and then got to a point where they had to do something.”

A tooth abscess is a little bubble of pus that occurs because of a bacterial infection. Snitker didn’t give much detail in Arcia, but typical symptoms of an abscessed tooth are a throbbing toothache, sensitivity to hot and cold, and pain or discomfort when chewing or biting. A tooth abscess might cause a fever or swelling in the face.

Over 285 at-bats this season, Arcia is hitting .211 with a .582 OPS. He has six home runs and 23 RBIs. He’s played terrific defense, though.

When the Braves have needed Short, he’s delivered. He entered Tuesday 8-for-59, but had five RBis and had walked 11 times in 55 plate appearances.

In Tuesday’s loss to the Giants, Short went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. But in the fifth inning, he laid down Atlanta’s first sacrifice bunt of the season.

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Kranitz out with family issue

In the top of the third inning on Tuesday, bullpen coach Erick Abreu – and not pitching coach Rick Kranitz – went out to visit Reynaldo López on the mound.

Kranitz was out due to a family issue. Abreu took over the mound visits for Tuesday.

Laureano could land on injured list

Ramón Laureano hasn’t played since June 26 because of a sore back.

On Wednesday, Snitker said Laureano’s pain has gone from the back to the oblique area – which isn’t good. The manager said Laureano could end up on the injured list “down the road” if he doesn’t show improvement.

The Braves will go day-to-day with Laureano, just as they did with Austin Riley, who sat out two weeks because of intercostal inflammation.

Snitker on Harris: ‘I think he’s feeling great’

Could Michael Harris II (hamstring strain) start running by the end of the week?

Snitker said he’s not putting any expectations on Harris.

“I just passed him in the hall a little bit ago,” Snitker said. “I think he’s feeling great, so I gotta think that’s something that’s coming up here before long.”

López to start on regular rest again

After Tuesday’s loss, Reynaldo López said he would make his next start on Sunday against the Phillies. If this is the case, he would be starting on regular rest for only the second time in 16 starts.

On Tuesday, López allowed two runs over 4 1/3 innings.

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