LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Braves left fielder Hector Olivera had more hits (12) in spring training than anyone else in the major leagues entering the weekend.
He went 2-for-2 with a double Friday, raising his average to .500 (12-for-24). He leads the Braves in plate appearances, playing almost daily as manager Fredi Gonzalez seeks to get him plenty of repetitions at his new left-field position, here he moved from third base after the 2015 season.
Olivera has hit safely in all eight of his games and gone 5-for-8 with two doubles in the Braves’ past three games. His first nine hits were singles, but he has a double in each of his past two games.
Olivera played in the 4-3 split-squad loss against the Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla. Braves utility candidate Reid Brignac had a home run.
In the Braves’ 9-2 split-squad loss to the Phillies at ESPN Wide World of Sports, the Braves went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, while Philadelphia had eight hits in a whopping 24 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
