Braves, Marlins get extra body for Sunday night game

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Because of the unusual nature of Sunday’s game at Fort Bragg, both the Braves and Miami Marlins were allowed an extra body in the very large dugouts constructed here for the occasion.

The 26th man had to be a position player, and the spot is available only for this single game.

For their part, the Braves brought up infielder Ronnier Mustelier from Triple-A Gwinnett, where he was hitting .293 with a home run and 34 RBI in 73 games.

“(The extra body) is kind of good with Ender (Inciarte) being day-to-day. (Mustelier) is aggressive, the perfect guy to run up there and pinch hit. We hope to put him to good use,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

The timetable for centerfielder Inciarte’s return from a groin injury is not certain, with Monday afternoon’s game at Philadelphia a more comfortable possibility than a game on a new field with some iffy weather projections. “Who knows if we’re going to have a rain delay or what,” Snitker said. “A wet field would not be a good situation for him right now. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

For their extra body, the Marlins called up outfielder Yefri Perez from Double-A Jacksonville (.257, one home run, 27 RBI in 73 games).