MIAMI – Left fielder Jonny Gomes and catcher A.J. Pierzynski are set to make their first starts for the Braves in Wednesday's series finale, along with just-acquired center fielder Cameron Maybin.
The Braves got Gomes and Pierzynski in part for their leadership, but Gomes will also be a platoon starter in left field and Pierzynski will get plenty of starts behind the plate in addition to mentoring rookie catcher Christian Bethancourt.
Maybin came from the Padres in Sunday’s trade that sent Craig Kimrel and Melvin Upton Jr. to San Diego. Although Maybin is a below-average hitter and not the stolen-base threat he was a couple of years ago, the North Carolina native remains a defensively strong center fielder and will be the backup to Eric Young Jr. Maybin will get some starts and also serve as a late-innings replacement when the Braves have a lead and want to move Young over the left field to strengthen their defense.
With leadoff hitter Young out of the lineup Wednesday, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he would bat Maybin or rookie second baseman Jace Peterson in the leadoff spot.
Ratings rise: The Braves' opening-day win against the Marlins drew a 3.3 share of households in the Atlanta area on SportSouth, a 50 percent increase over the 2014 opener at Milwaukee on SportSouth.
