The Braves believe that third baseman Hector Olivera will be a big-time hitter next season after he’s played winter ball in Puerto Rico and had a full spring training, and they expect him to a lineup regular for most or all of the five seasons left on his contract after this one.

But for now, in the initial weeks of his first major league stint, they’re giving him a couple of days off a week. Easing him into things after Olivera, a 30-year-old Cuban defector, missed all of spring training due to his late signing with the Dodgers and missed most of two months this summer for a hamstring strain.

In Tuesday night’s series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, Adonis Garcia got his fourth start at third base in 14 games since Olivera arrived. Left-hander Mark Buerhle was on the mound for the Blue Jays, and Garcia was 14-for-39 (.359) with two doubles and four homers against lefties before Tuesday.

Olivera was batting .225 overall (9-for-40) with one double, one homer and seven RBIs, and was 1-for-11 with two walks and five strikeouts against lefties.

Garcia has also played left field for the Braves, but manager Fredi Gonzalez wanted Nick Swisher in left Tuesday. Swisher was 11-for-30 with eight walks and a .500 OBP against Buerhle prior to Tuesday’s game.

“Garcia’s swinging the bat pretty darn well and we’ve got a lefty today,” Gonzalez said before batting practice Tuesday. “Swisher’s got good numbers against Buerhle, so I’m trying to get as many good bats in there as I can to try to win a ballgame.”