When the Braves called up Phil Gosselin from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday manager Fredi Gonzalez said the rookie would get playing time.
It didn’t take long for Gonzalez to make good on that vow. Gosselin is in the lineup at second base against the Padres today.
Regular second baseman Tommy La Stella is resting for the final game of the home stand before an eight-game road trip that begins Tuesday at the Dodgers.
“I figured I might be in there just because a day game after a night game, so I came here prepared to start,” Gosselin said. “I want to get out there and get a few at-bats and help the team win any way I can.”
Gosselin singled in the first inning Monday, reached on an error in the third and grounded out in the sixth. La Stella pinch hit for him in the seventh.
“It was nice to get him in there and make something happen from the get-go,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He’s a nice piece to have in the National League. If you feel like you want to give somebody a day off, you can run him in at a couple different positions and you will be fine.”
There’s an opportunity for Gosselin to become the primary utility infielder for the Braves.
In 154 games with Gwinnett over the past two seasons he played every position in the infield plus 12 games in left field. He’s played 72 games at second base for Gwinnett.
“I’ve played second the most so I have the most experience there but I’ve played third the most this year,” Gosselin said. “I feel comfortable at multiple (positions) but second is probably the one I’ve played the most in my career.”
The Braves selected Gosselin, 25, in the fifth round of the 2010 draft out of the University of Virginia. He started one game for the Braves during an August call up in 2013 and went 2-for-4 with a run scored. He had no hits in two at-bats as a sub in 2013 and is 0-for-2 as a pinch hitter during his latest stint with the Braves.
Gosselin pinch hit in the seventh inning of the Braves’ 8-3 victory over the Padres on Sunday and lined out to second baseman Brooks Conrad.
“I hit it hard up the middle, unfortunately it was right at the guy,” Gosselin said. “But it was a good at-bat so just build on it.”
At the time of his promotion Gosselin was leading the International League in hits and was tied for second in doubles. He was selected to play in the Triple-A All-Star game.
Conrad will be reunited in the lineup with shortstop Andrelton Simmons, one of the premier defensive players in the majors. They were teammates at Single-A Lynchburg and Double-A Mississippi.
“It’s good, a little reunion,” Gosselin said. “It will be good to get out there with him. He’s awesome.”
