Gattis to catch Sunday; could it be his last Braves game?
PHILADELPHIA – Evan Gattis will start Sunday's season finale against the Phillies, in what could possibly be the final game the slugger plays for the Braves.
Gattis has started only once in the past three weeks due to strep throat and a kidney stone, but manager Fredi Gonzalez assured he would be behind the plate Sunday when the Braves face Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels. Gattis had a two-homer game against Hamels in September 2013, and had five homers in 26 at-bats at Citizens Bank Park before Saturday.
Strong-armed rookie Christian Bethancourt is penciled in as the Braves’ long-term catcher, and he could take over next season if the Braves decide to trade Gattis this winter. There’s also a chance the Braves could move Gattis to left field if they determine that his defensive shortcomings are an acceptable tradeoff in order to keep his immense power and relatively small salary, which would be affordable for at least another two or three seasons.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez had said on Friday that he expected to have Gattis in the lineup Saturday and again possibly Sunday. But after consulting with the team’s training staff, they decided that having him catch a day game Sunday after a night game Saturday wasn’t wise, given how little he’s played in recent weeks due to his illnesses.
