Braves OF Otis Nixon to return after sitting out a month

— -- CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Recovered from a neck injury suffered during a bench-clearing brawl in late July, Atlanta Braves outfielder Otis Nixon today was activated from the 15-day disabled list. Nixon, tied for the team lead in steals despite missing over a month, has been sidelined since July 30 with a cervical sprain. The injury occurred during a melee in the Braves' 9-2 loss to Philadelphia. Ranked 17th on the all-time list with 612 stolen bases, the 40-year-old Nixon has swiped 18 this year and is tied with Chipper Jones for the club lead. But his prowess on the basepaths has only partially atoned for his atrocious performance at the plate. Nixon is batting a dismal .188 in 67 games this season. The speedster owns an equally mediocre .289 on-base percentage, having scored 23 timees with seven RBI. An offseason free agent signing, Nixon returned to the Braves after playing for them from 1991-93. The 17-year veteran batted .297 with 37 steals and 71 runs in 110 games for the Minnesota Twins last season.