Jason Heyward has struggled to get his bat going this season, and a stretch of four left-handed starters in five games was no help. So Gonzalez sat Heyward Sunday against left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, something he’d planned a day ahead.
Heyward is 3-for-25 against left-handers this season while batting only 121 overall. Heyward acknowledged Sunday morning he’s had moments of trying to do too much.
“Sometimes you’re feeling good and you want to do more try and do more than you need to be trying to do,” Heyward said. “My last at-bat (Saturday night) I gave it away just trying to be aggressive.”
Heyward said he’s feeling good mechanically but needs to be more selective at the plate. He said pitchers are being that much more careful with him as the only left-hander in the top of the Braves order.
“I’ve just got to stay patient, get good pitches to hit,” Heyward said. “Even though I do have a bad man hitting behind me (Justin Upton), they still don’t want to make too many mistakes with me this year.”
Uggla rests calf
Gonzalez had planned to rest Dan Uggla on Sunday anyway but when he left the game Saturday night with a strained left calf it became necessary. Uggla woke Sunday morning with his calf feeling much better and hopes to be back in the Braves lineup on Monday in Colorado. Gonzalez might give him an additional day, if weather doesn’t handle that for him. There’s snow in the Denver forecast both Monday and Tuesday.
Updates
Reliever Luis Avilan was available to pitch Sunday, having shown the Braves he was no longer favoring his hamstring in a bullpen on Saturday….
Brian McCann is still resting his sore right wrist and Gonzalez said he probably won’t begin catching games in extended spring training until later in the week. McCann has shown progress with his arm strength though, a good sign in his recovery from shoulder surgery.
“The reports I got was the wrist was feeling better and his throwing is really, really good,” Gonzalez said. “He’s stretching out, and he’s really throwing the ball, really making progress.”…
Another sign of the name Evan Gattis is making for himself around baseball? The "Batting Stance Guy" has posted a youtube video imitating Gattis' stance. Gattis said he saw it and thought it was funny.
“He didn’t get the pant legs though,” said Gattis, demonstrating how he tugs his pants up before he takes the bat back.
