Blanco enjoys major workload

He may be a rookie, but Gregor Blanco has proved he’s got staying power.

Stuck behind Josh Anderson in spring training? No problem. He beat out Anderson for a roster spot.

Injured starters? Bring it on. The outfielder thrust himself in the lineup as the leadoff hitter.

Nagging bone spur? Please. Pain is weakness leaving the body.

Blanco, who has made 97 starts in 109 games for the Braves this season and played all three outfield positions, was not in the lineup Monday against San Francisco because of the bone spur in his right foot. But considering he’s been playing with the ailment for two months, it’s safe to say he could use a little rest.

Blanco twisted his ankle in a game, and though it hurts the most when he runs, he refuses to let it slow him down.

“It’s my first year and I want to keep playing,” he said. “I want to make the Braves believe that I can play every day here.”

Jeff Francoeur has played alongside Blanco since the age of 19 when they were in the Braves’ farm system. So it was no surprise to Francoeur that Blanco fit right in when outfielders Matt Diaz and Mark Kotsay went down with injuries early in the season.

“We always knew he could play defense, but I think he’s had a lot of success and done a lot of good things and showed he could be an everyday player,” Francoeur said.

Blanco has made a difference when put in the lineup.

“He does a great job, especially to start the game off,” Francoeur said. “You can put a lot of pressure on a pitcher by getting on, especially with having [Yunel] Escobar and Chipper [Jones] and Mac [Brian McCann] coming up.

“I think he’s done a great job. He’s one of those guys that you don’t have to talk to much because he kind of knows what he needs to do and he’s done a great job of doing it all season.”

Blanco, batting .258 with a .371 on-base percentage, boasts a team-leading 24 infield hits, tied for fifth in the National League, and 14 bunt hits, second in the NL.

Once he gets on base, he really gets going.

Blanco leads Atlanta in stolen bases with 11. He racked up 202 stolen bases during his six years in the minors.

Blanco said he was always fast as a kid, but a pair of rollerblades fueled his speed.

He used to wake up at 9 a.m., strap on his blades and glide around his small Venezuelan town with his friends. He stopped sometimes to eat or drink and wouldn’t return home until 10 p.m.

“I guess that gave me strength to my legs, and I got much faster after that,” he said. “We just all loved it. It was a lot of fun.”

And for Blanco, baseball is all about fun. With some encouragement from the Braves, he hopes to continue having some.

“I hope they give me the chance and say, ‘Hey, this is for you.’ I will have a lot more confidence in myself if they say that,” he said. “I love it here.”