Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte and starter Kevin Gausman are beginning their roads back to the bigs.
Inciarte has been sidelined with a lumbar strain since May 15. He worked out in Florida while the team was on its 10-day trip before playing Monday. Inciarte went 0-for-2 as a designated hitter for Single-A Florida in his debut Monday and will man center field for a few innings Tuesday.
“Everything is going good with him,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He just has to get back into game shape. … He’ll eventually work his way to Triple-A and play nine innings in center field.”
Inciarte sputtered before the injury, dropping from the leadoff spot to the bottom of the order. He hit .218 with a .300 on-base percentage. Inciarte, who’s won three consecutive gold gloves, was a valuable asset in the field even when the offense wasn’t there.
Gausman will soon join Inciarte on the FireFrogs. He will begin his assignment in “a couple days,” according to manager Brian Snitker. Gausman was placed on the injured list June 11 because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
“He has to get stretched back out, but he’ll start his rehab clock here soon,” Snitker said of Gausman, who pitched in a simulated game Sunday.
Before the injury, the right-hander was pitching his way out of the team’s rotation. He owns a 6.21 ERA after giving up 15 earned runs across his past two starts (six total innings). It’s unclear how the team will use him upon his return.
“You can’t predict what’s going to happen,” Snitker previously said regarding Gausman. “We’ll see where he fits in when he’s ready to come back.”
