Braves consider sending B.J. Upton to minors

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez told MLB.com Friday he has considered sending outfielder B.J. Upton to the minors to work on his swing in a stress-free environment for about a week or two.

Upton has missed his second straight game and the fifth of the last seven. He is hitting .116 in his last 14 games. Gonzalez wants to have Upton back in the lineup soon.

"I'm a believer that to get out of the funk, you have to play," Gonzalez said. "There's not a magic number or anything like that. The thing you feel good about is, the guy works hard. I think if you spend too much time not playing, when you put him in there, it might be even worse, because all of a sudden, he hasn't seen live pitching."