Q: Why is Terry Pendleton not the Braves' third-base coach? Do you think he will ever get offered a managerial position elsewhere?
Rogers: You know, I've never even asked Terry if he's interested in coaching third base. I'll have to do that some time. He's a guy who never complains about the job he has, is always upbeat and is a respected voice in the Braves' clubhouse and in the dugout. I hope somebody does offer him a managerial position at some point, but it would be a big loss here, in my opinion.
Q: Why does Fredi Gonzalez usually hit Andrelton Simmons so low in the order?
Rogers: My interpretation is he still sees Simmons as a younger player, developing his offensive game and finding his consistency at the plate. But I think you're touching on something Fredi has toyed with, the idea of moving Simmons up to second in the order. And if he drops B.J. Upton lower, Simmons could be a viable piece there.
Q: Any chance the Braves can get something for Ernesto Mejia? Obviously no spot for him here, but he seems to hit consistently well every year in Triple-A.
Rogers: I'll answer that one the same way David O'Brien did the other day. Kind of makes you figure if the Braves could have gotten good return for Mejia, they would have already.
Q: Has anyone ever heard of practice? Dan Uggla has pizzas for hands. He needs to work in his fielding. Ditto everyone bunting. Pathetic!
Rogers: You ought to come by the ballpark in the afternoons some time if you live close by, and watch them. They do practice. Hard to simulate game situations in batting practice, though.
Q: Million-dollar question: When Gavin Floyd comes back, who gets the boot from the rotation, Aaron Harang or Alex Wood?
Rogers: You want to answer that one? Tough call considering how great both Wood and Harang are pitching. I guess the answer is you've got to keep seeing how this plays out.
Q: Do you expect to see any new faces in the bullpen soon?
Rogers: If it's anything like recent years, the Braves will take the pulse in early June. I think that's when you usually start to see some changes with the roster.
Q: Realistically, do the Braves have a chance to win the division again? Also, why do they continue to play B.J. Upton, who clearly is not cutting it?
Rogers: Looks that way to me based on what they're getting from their starting pitching — wow — and that's without all their bullets firing. They continue to play Upton because they're paying him $75 million, and they're seeing some signs of him making progress at the plate.
Q: How many games does Uggla have to lose for us with his errors before Fredi pulls him for a game or two to get his head right?
Rogers: Guess it depends on your philosophy there. Do you sit a guy to tell him you don't have confidence in him, and see what that does for him? I get the idea of letting a veteran player play through some yips at times.
Q: What's really going on with Craig Kimbrel? Seems like there's something in the background happening that they aren't telling us. Is he hurt more than we think?
Rogers: He was asked multiple times last night how he felt, and Kimbrel said great and that the shoulder was not a factor. He said sometimes he throws 95, 96 (mph) and some days he throws 98,99, that he can't control it. He did have a layoff, which can affect command and a tick or two on velocity. But it's not like he was throwing 90 or something. But I think it's something we'll have to keep an eye on his next couple outings.
Q: Do we really have to watch Jason Heyward and B.J. in the 1-2 spots all year? Has Fredi mentioned moving them down?
Rogers: Fredi hasn't mentioned moving them down, no, (not like he gives us a heads up) but he also hasn't declared he'll be hitting them there the rest of the year. We saw last year his willingness to move batters in the lineup — moving Heyward into the leadoff spot late in the season as a prime example. So if they continue to struggle, he'll do something.
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