A crowd of Braves’ fans swarmed a corner of Coolray Field adjacent to the dugout. Boy, had they missed Evan Gattis.
He signed a plethora of autographs before the first game of his minor-league rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday night. The Braves’ catcher missed the past three weeks with a bulging thoracic disc in his upper back.
Gattis served as the designated hitter Thursday night in the Gwinnett Braves’ 7-0 loss to the Durham Bulls and batted third in the lineup.
With one out and Todd Cunningham on first base, Gattis took his first at-bat since June 27. He grounded into a double play to end the first inning. His second at-bat was much of the same: a groundout to third. Come his third and fourth (and final) at-bats, he struck out.
“Other than striking out a couple times it went well,” he said. “Glad to get through this day, see some pitches. I feel good, feel healthy.”
Before the game, Gattis said he was anxious to face live pitching and that he wanted to see where his timing at the plate stood. After four at-bats, he could finally evaluate his swing in a game scenario.
“It’ll take time,” he said. “I think hits will be there and everything like that — timing will come back. Really just happy to get through this one healthy. First time seeing live pitching, first time really trying to gear up for a fastball where (batting practice) just can’t replicate it in game speed.”
The Braves put Gattis on the 15-day disabled list on July 1 after missing four games with back spasms. Christian Bethancourt and Gerald Laird have shared the catching duties in his absence.
Before his rehabilitation assignment in Gwinnett, the catcher took batting practice with Single-A Rome over the weekend and continued to do so through Wednesday.
He said he felt a little hesitation in his swing in that first batting practice with Rome and was sore the following day. After Thursday’s game he said his back feels good.
Gattis is eligible to return to Atlanta whenever the Braves see fit, although he will remain with Gwinnett for a few more games.
“I’d like to catch,” he said. “I’m not sure when, if it’s tomorrow or the next day or whatever. But yeah, I’d like to catch before leaving. I really just want to make sure I’m healthy and good to go for the rest of the season.”
