NEW YORK -- Chipper Jones made a quick exit on his 38th birthday.
Jones injured a hip on his first swing of the day and came out after 2½ innings of the Atlanta Braves' 3-1 loss to the New York Mets on Saturday.
The third baseman thinks he will be sidelined for several games.
"It popped," he said. "I couldn't push off at all."
Jones thought he might have hurt a tendon in the hip. At first he stayed in the game but took a pair of called third strikes.
"I've never had that happen before, in football or anything," he said. "It still hurts after I've had ice and everything."
He left an April 8 game against the Chicago Cubs after three innings when he strained his right oblique during batting practice and pain intensified. He missed the following three-game series at San Francisco, then returned April 12 at San Diego.
"I felt it a little last night but it wasn't serious," Jones said, "In BP, I was fine."
Jones usually has stellar birthdays. He's a career .419 hitter (18 for 43) on his birthday with three doubles, four homers and 10 RBIs, according to STATS LLC.
Atlanta dropped to 9-2 when he plays on his birthday. The other defeat was 11-6 at Houston in 2001, when he homered twice.
Martin Prado wasn't in the lineup because of a sore hamstring. He replaced Jones at third base in the third inning.
"He was mad he wasn't starting," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "I think a day off would have been good for him.
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