MILWAUKEE — A day after giving slumping second baseman Jace Peterson a day off, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez rested Andrelton Simmons in Tuesday night's game against the Brewers.
Simmons was 13-for-66 (.197) with one double, two RBIs, two walks and a .243 OBP in his past 18 games before Tuesday, and had started 10 consecutive games and 79 of 83 games this season. Pedro Ciriaco made his fifth start at shortstop Tuesday.
Peterson was 6-for-50 (.120) with two extra-base hits, 17 strikeouts and a .185 OBP in his past 12 games before Tuesday, after batting .309 with 16 extra-base hits and a .389 OBP in his previous 50 games.
Gonzalez said before Monday’s series opener than he would rest Simmons on Tuesday, because he didn’t want to have both of his regular middle infielders out of the lineup at the same time Monday. He told Simmons he would’ve rested him Sunday against the Phillies’ Cole Hamels, but Gonzalez didn’t want to with pitcher Shelby Miller starting for the Braves.
“I told him Sunday morning, if Miller wasn’t pitching you wouldn’t be playing today. Because he’s 1-for-15 or whatever against Hamels,” Gonzalez said. “But with my best pitcher pitching, I want my best shortstop out there. He goes, ‘I got you.’”
