The Braves activated outfielder Reed Johnson from the disabled list shortly before Tuesday’s game against the Marlins. Johnson has been out with Achilles tendinitis since July 29.
He has been hitting and throwing for weeks but waiting for his Achilles to feel good enough to where he could run comfortably. When he arrived in Miami, Johnson was planning to ramp back up his attempts at running.
“If I could give it 75 percent down to first base, that’d be plenty right now,” Johnson said.
The Braves will likely let him pinch hit and then run for him at first base.
Fernandez’s slider
The Braves avoided facing standout Jose Fernandez for the first four series they faced the Marlins this season, but they’re getting him twice in the past two.
Fernandez starts Wednesday against Mike Minor in what is expected to be his last outing of the year. The Marlins wanted to cap him at 170 innings and he’s 4 1/3 innings shy, but they’ll treat Wednesday like a normal start, not necessarily pulling him after five innings.
After the Braves beat Fernandez 2-1 in Atlanta despite managing only three hits, players came away comparing his slider to John Smoltz’s, who used that pitch to become a likely Hall of Famer. If anyone would know both, it’s Brian McCann, who not only caught Smoltz but saw 10 breaking balls in a 14-pitch at-bat against Fernandez on Aug. 30, before striking out against him.
“It’s similar,” McCann said. “Very similar. I think what makes it is arm speed. His arm speed is the same on his slider as it is his fastball.”
