After considering the statistics and the circumstances, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he decided that rookie Mallex Smith would remain the everyday center fielder with Ender Inciarte returning from a hamstring injury Saturday.
Since Inciarte went on the DL a month ago Smith, the organization’s top outfield prospect, has filled in ably as the primary center fielder. Entering Saturday, Smith was tied for the majors lead among all players in The Fielding Bible’s defensive-runs-saved metric, despite playing only 155 innings.
Gonzalez said that data, in addition to the “eyeball test,” informed his decision to leave Smith in center even though Inciarte also is a good defender. The manager said other factors include Inciarte’s experience playing left field and Gonzalez’s desire to save Inciarte’s legs by having him play a position that requires covering less ground than center.
“I think it’s more important for Mallex to get at-bats than what position to play in the outfield, but he can do it (play center),” Gonzalez said before the Braves faced the Diamondbacks on Saturday. “And those numbers kind of support it a little bit.”
The Braves acquired Inciarte in a December trade with the Diamondbacks. Last season he ranked second among major league outfielders in DRS while playing 1,063 1/3 innings.
Inciarte said during spring training he was happy to have a chance to play center field full time. During the past two seasons with Arizona he played 98 games in center, 84 in left and 78 in right.
Inciarte said he still prefers to play center field.
“But I don’t make the lineup,” he said. “If they think this is the best thing they can do for the team, it is my job to be in left field.”
Gonzalez said Inciarte, who bats right, still would start in center field when the Braves face left-handers that he doesn’t want lefty hitter Smith to face. That includes Sunday’s series finale against Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin.
Inciarte was batting second Saturday after he was the leadoff hitter for the first three games. He said he’s fine with either position in the order, noting that his best production in 2015 came as the No. 2 hitter: .344 average with a .364 on-base percentage.
“As long as I can be (bear) the top of the order and get things going I am going to be proud to be there,” he said.
