Braves manager Brian Snitker smiles one day after being hit below the belt by a foul ball

ATLANTA — Atlanta manager Brian Snitker might laugh Thursday about being hit below the belt by a foul off Ozzie Albies’ bat in the Braves’ 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.

The hard-hit foul ball bounced and hit Snitker so quickly in the fifth inning that he didn’t have time to defend himself. But even in the moment, the 68-year-old manager smiled instead of showing any sign of pain.

And, to answer the obvious question, Snitker does not wear a protective shell.

“No protection? Yeah, I know,” Snitker said, adding that he received several text messages about the incident and how he was smiling instead of hunching over in pain.

“Well, it hit me just below the belt,” he said. “…OK, a little high.”

Snitker said he wasn’t sore when he woke up Thursday, but he acknowledged he “tensed up” and felt some discomfort during the game. He was able to smile because the ball barely missed hitting him in a more sensitive area.

Snitker said he intentionally avoided television Thursday morning “because I said I wasn’t going to watch that stuff.” Snitker’s son, Troy, who is on the Houston Astros’ coaching staff, made sure the replay got to his father.

“My son sent me a video,” Snitker said before Thursday night’s game against the Giants.

Albies’ at-bat ended with a fly ball to center field. The Braves second baseman immediately went to Snitker as he returned to the dugout.

“He felt even worse than I did,” Snitker said. “He’s a very good kid.”

Snitker was a longtime third base coach before becoming Atlanta’s manager in 2016 and leading the Braves to six straight NL East championships and the 2021 World Series title. The third base coaching position can also be a dangerous spot, and Snitker said he suffered a broken wrist and other injuries when hit by foul balls there.

Snitker said he had another reason to smile immediately after avoiding injury Wednesday night.

Braves first baseman Matt Olson told Snitker he probably would have been hit by the foul ball if Snitker, standing on the dugout steps, hadn’t been in his path.

“I thought, ‘I’m a lot easier to replace than he is,'” Snitker said. “So I’m glad I figured it out.”

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AP Major League Baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb