Braves catcher Evan Gattis isn’t in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Marlins but manager Fredi Gonzalez said he’s available to play if needed. Gerald Laird is the starter at catcher.
Gattis was activated from the disabled list on Monday and started the past two games. He had been on the DL since July 1 (retroactive to June 29) with a bulging thoracic disk in his back.
“I feel good,” Gattis said. “I was ready to catch today. Just getting the day off, I guess.”
Gattis is 1-for-7 with two strikeouts and a walk in the two games since his return. He said he’s still trying to get reacquainted with big-league pitching after four rehabilitation starts with Triple-A Gwinnett.
“For sure, the timing is not there for me right now but that’s OK,” Gattis said. “I feel great. I kind of feel like it’s the beginning of the season again, which is good (because) I feel really fresh.”
For the season Gattis is hitting .286 with a .339 on-base percentage and a .545 slugging percentage. He leads the Braves in slugging percentage and is second to Justin Upton with 16 home runs and second to Tommy La Stella in batting average.
