The Braves sent Adonis Garcia to Triple-A Gwinnett in large part because they wanted him to work on his defense. They recalled him Friday because their anemic offense needs some punch.
Even after his three-week stay in the minors, Garcia ranked tied for third among Braves players with 27 hits and was third with a .319 on-base percentage. Garcia played left field in the minors, and Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said that would be his primary position in his second big-league stint, though he also could play some third base.
In 19 games with Gwinnett, Garcia hit .356 with a .413 OBP and .616 slugging percentage. He had four home runs, seven doubles and 18 RBIs.
“He’s swinging the bat really well,” Snitker said. “It’s just another piece, a bat off the bench. Or if we get him in a game he will just be another guy to hopefully help maybe get us off the mat a little bit.”
Garcia was 30 years old when he made his big-league debut with the Braves last season. He provided surprising production while hitting 10 home runs in 198 plate appearances.
Garcia worked in improving his play at third base during the winter and at spring training. But his defensive struggles prompted former Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez to move him back to left field, where Garcia also had issues before the team sent him down to Gwinnett.
At the time Garcia told Gonzalez he was upset about switching positions because he’d spent so much time working at third. Snitker, the Gwinnett manager at the time of Garcia’s demotion, said Garcia showed no signs of sulking about the change.
“He’s all for whatever we need him to do,” Snitker said. “He came down to Gwinnett with a good attitude.”
Garcia played 138 1/3 innings in left field for the G-Braves and had no errors in 29 chances. He said the transition came naturally.
“I feel good about the daily work I was putting in down there,” Garcia said through an interpreter. “I feel like I played well. I’m just trying to maintain the consistency and the work habits that I’ve been developing.”
