Veteran first baseman Ryan Howard had two hits and reached base four times in his first game with the Gwinnett Braves Saturday night in Lawrenceville.
Howard was 2-for-2 (both singles), had an RBI, was hit by a pitch and was walked intentionally as the Triple-A Braves (11-5) beat Pawtucket 5-2.
Howard, 37, was signed by the Braves to a minor league contract on April 6.
Howard played 13 seasons with the Phillies from 2004-16, batting .258 with 382 home runs and 1,194 RBIs in 1,572 games. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2005 after batting .288 with 22 homers and 63 RBIs in 88 games. A year later in 2006, he batted .313 with career highs in homers (58) and RBIs (149) over 159 games to win the NL’s Most Valuable Player award. His career also includes a Silver Slugger award in 2006 and three NL All-Star selections (2006, 2009, 2010).
If Howard looks like he can help a Braves bench lacking in power, he could be called up and give the Braves a power-hitting pinch-hit option against right-handers and a potential designated hitter for some interleague games in American League ballparks.
After hitting .154 with 12 homers and a .567 OPS in 220 plate appearances before the 2016 All-Star break, Howard hit .262 with 13 homers and an impressive .932 OPS in 142 PAs after the break.
