How a brief visit between Jorge Mateo and Walt Weiss spoke loudly

It was a small gesture on the part of Jorge Mateo, the former Braves utility player now with the Rays.

But it was a glimpse into how Braves manager Walt Weiss has led the team in his first season in the role.

As the Braves close in on the National League East title — it would be their seventh in the past nine seasons — it was further confirmation of his fitness for the job.

It was Thursday morning last week at Truist Park, around 10:15 a.m. The ballpark was quiet. Only a few players were on the field ahead of the 12:15 p.m. start, the final game of the Braves’ series with Tampa Bay.

Weiss was standing outside the Braves’ first-base dugout talking with a visitor. (It was me.)

And over from the Rays side of the field came Mateo to greet Weiss. Mateo signed with the Rays on Aug. 13, four days after the Braves released him to make room for infielder Ha-Seong Kim as he returned from the injured list.

Signed in the offseason to a one-year deal, Mateo had been a key part of the Braves’ early success this season before his production dropped and his role diminished.

The series at Truist was the first time the teams had met since then.

Mateo and Weiss shared a hug and spoke for a couple minutes. This was not a casual “Hey, good to see you” conversation. They faced each other, standing at close range. Weiss even put his hands on his former player. They hugged it out before Mateo returned to the Rays’ dugout.

Observing this visit, I was struck that Mateo had deliberately sought out Weiss. His time with the Braves hadn’t ended especially well. Even before Mateo was removed from the roster, his playing time sharply dropped. He could be excused for having raw feelings.

And it wasn’t as if they had just bumped into each other behind the batting cage and had a cursory chat. Mateo clearly wanted to talk with Weiss, and the way the two interacted communicated respect and friendship.

I pointed that out to Weiss, who seemed gratified by Mateo’s act. He said that he had made an extra effort to earn Mateo’s trust in spring training because he was aware that his new infielder might need that from him. It had evidently worked.

After the game — a 3-1 win for the Braves — I went to find Mateo in the visiting clubhouse. I first asked what it was like to be back at Truist Park.

“Oh, my God, it’s amazing,” he said.

When he said, “Oh, my God,” he said it the same way that someone who has just gotten back from the trip of a lifetime responds to being asked about it.

The team was like a family, Mateo said. Getting released was hard, he said, “but it’s part of the business. We understand this and we’ve got to keep going.”

The clubhouse?

“Amazing. A lot of veteran guys there. Everybody is a veteran and really good people, too.”

And Weiss?

“Oh, my God,” he said, and there it was again. “That’s amazing, too. Wow. He’s a really good manager, really good person, (we’re) really good friends, too. We have a good relationship.”

I asked about the nature of the relationship.

“He’s really honest,” Mateo said. “He talked to me, like, every day. Like, what’s going on, what he’s thinking about. I respect that.”

Not every manager communicates like Weiss, Mateo said. His Rays manager, Kevin Cash, is similar to Weiss in that regard.

“That’s a different type of manager,” Mateo said.

For those who have followed the Braves in Weiss’ first season as manager, Mateo’s evaluation should not come as a surprise. It seems clear that players have responded to him in his succession of Brian Snitker.

But Mateo’s perspective was arguably more telling. He is no longer a Brave and the circumstances of his departure were not pleasant. He didn’t owe Weiss anything, certainly not a warm reunion or unbridled praise.