Braves center fielder Cameron Maybin was in the lineup for a season-high sixth consecutive game on Wednesday as he’s started to produce at the plate.
“He’s quietly starting to swing the bat,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “You make a mistake, he will run you out of the ballpark.”
Maybin was hitting .115 with a .179 on-base percentage and slugging .346 after going 0-for-5 at Toronto on April 18. In eight games since then entering Wednesday, he hit .346 with a .485 OBP and .557 slugging.
Maybin hit two home runs during that stretch to give him four on the season in just 62 plate appearance, a home-run percentage of 6.5. His career home run percentage is 1.7.
Maybin, 28, played for the Marlins from 2008-2010 with Gonzalez as his manager. Maybin flashed power back then with 12 home runs in 557 plate appearances for the Marlins.
“He’s definitely bigger and stronger,” Gonzalez said.
The Braves acquired Maybin from the Padres as part of the Craig Kimbrel trade. He’s owed $15 million over the next two seasons with a club option for $9 million in 2017 and a $1 million buyout.
“I felt comfortable with him coming back because first of all I knew what kind of makeup he was … and I also felt like this guy still has a chance to be a really good major leaguer,” Gonzalez said.
