Braves Lose Lofton but Jones Plays

The Atlanta Braves placed outfielder Kenny Lofton on the 15-day disabled list because of a pulled left groin muscle. Chipper Jones, expected to miss Atlanta’s game Monday night against the New York Mets because of a bruised left knee, instead started and hit an RBI single in the first inning of his team’s 3-2 loss.

Lofton injured his leg running out a single Wednesday in Toronto.

The Braves purchased the contract of Danny Bautista from Richmond to replace Lofton.

Jones, an All-Star third baseman, was injured Sunday when he collided with first baseman Mike Mordecai on a popup in Philadelphia, and had to be helped off the field.

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The general manager of a New York Mets farm team says he is unaware of an investigation by the parent club into drinking on the team bus that may have contributed to a player’s death in a highway accident.

Doug Mansolino, manager of the Class-A Capital City Bombers, and coaches Dave Jorn and Tim Leiper were dismissed last week.

The New York Times reported Monday that they were fired because they didn’t adequately pursue questions about whether players were drinking on the bus coming back from a road trip.

“That was the first I had heard of it,” Tim Swain, the Bombers’ general manager, said Monday. “I was told it was performance related.”

Tim Bishop, a 20-year-old outfielder, died April 18 after he was hit on an interstate outside Columbia. Bishop and teammate Randy Vickers were headed home after the team returned from Hagerstown, Md.