SunTrust Park’s expanded protective netting won’t be installed before the final regular-season home game, but will be in place by the start of the playoffs, Braves CEO Derek Schiller said Wednesday.
The work will be done during the last week of September while the Braves complete the regular season on the road following a homestand that ends Sept. 22, Schiller said. Preparations for the work are underway.
“There is a lot of fabrication and other things that have to be done in order to make sure it is right and make sure it is installed the right way,” Schiller said.
The extended netting, which the Braves announced last week, will run to the foul poles to better protect fans from line-drive foul balls.
The Braves are among at least 11 MLB teams that have announced in recent months plans to extend the netting in their stadiums. At SunTrust Park, the net currently runs to the far end of both dugouts.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Braves hold a 5-1/2 game lead over the Washington Nationals in the National League East race, four games in the loss column, with 27 games left on the Braves’ schedule. They are 8-1/2 games ahead of the Cubs, who are the second team in the wild-card standings.
