There was no way Braves left fielder Justin Upton could keep up the torrid pace he set beginning with his first game this season.
But Upton was so impressive early that it hasn’t mattered to fans that he’s cooled off since then. Upton led all National League outfielders with 1,184,249 votes from fans in the first balloting figures released Tuesday.
“I got off to a good start, and we are winning ballgames,” Upton said. “The fans are great here. They and the fans around the league voted for me, and that’s something to be happy about.”
Upton earned the second-most votes in the NL behind San Francisco catcher Buster Posey. Upton was an All-Star with Arizona in 2009 and 2011, but has never been voted to the team by fans.
The Braves acquired Upton in an offseason trade with Arizona, and he made an immediate and dramatic impact. Upton hit a home run in each of his first two games, hit another in his fourth game and homered twice in his fifth game.
Upton finished April with 12 home runs, a .298 batting average, .402 on-base percentage and 1.136 OPS. Entering Tuesday his numbers had slipped to a .259 average, .368 on-base percentage and .886 OPS, with two home runs since May 1.
Upton was tied for second in the NL with 14 home runs, on pace to set a career high for a season.
“It’s been up and down since the beginning of May,” Upton said. “I’ve had some good stretches and some bad stretches. That’s part of the game. Right now I’m trying to get back to being a little more consistent.”
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez counts Upton among his slumping hitters who are showing signs of getting on track. He cited Upton’s three-hit game against the Nationals on Sunday, which improved his batting average from a season low of .249 to .259.
“The pace that he set in April, come on,” Gonzalez said. “I think at the end of the year his numbers will be right where usual: .280 to .300, a lot of RBIs and a lot of home runs. I think the swing is good.”
In addition to Upton, five other Braves players rank among the top five at their position in All-Star votes: first baseman Freddie Freeman, catcher Brian McCann, second baseman Dan Uggla, third baseman Chris Johnson and shortstop Andrelton Simmons.
Lineup logjam for Gattis: Braves slugger Evan Gattis, winner of consecutive NL rookie-of-the-month awards, was out of the lineup for the second consecutive day Tuesday. Gonzalez said Gattis would start the final game of the homestand Thursday.
Entering Tuesday, Gattis ranked second on the team with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs while ranking sixth in at-bats (145). Gattis has played catcher, first base and left field, but Gonzalez said it’s still tough to find room in the lineup for him.
McCann and Freeman have been the Braves’ most consistent regulars. Upton is a mainstay in left field. Gonzalez said outfielders B.J. Upton and Jason Heyward are showing signs of coming out of hitting slumps, so he wants to keep getting them at-bats.
“It’s not easy getting (Gattis) in there,” Gonzalez said.
Beachy update: Braves right-hander Brandon Beachy thought his third minor-league rehabilitation start wasn't as good as his second, but said that's been the "standard" pattern during his comeback from Tommy John surgery.
“When I do something new and it feels really good, then I kind of take a small step back, and it takes a little time to get back to that point and then I move forward,” he said.
Beachy pitched five innings for Double-A Mississippi on Tuesday and allowed six hits and three earned runs with a walk and four strikeouts. He threw 80 pitches with 55 strikes.
Beachy is scheduled to start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday and then make a final rehab start with Mississippi next week before rejoining the Braves. Gonzalez said the Braves are targeting the June 18 doubleheader against the Mets for Beachy’s return.
McCann gets milestone: McCann is in the final year of his contract before free agency, and with the emergence of Gattis and the interest McCann likely will draw from American League teams, there's a distinct possibility he's playing out his final season at Turner Field.
So when he recorded his 1,000th hit Monday at Turner Field the moment came with its share of nostalgia.
“To get 1,000 hits here — it’s something I’ll never forget,” said McCann, a six-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner. “That’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”
McCann is the 25th player in franchise history to collect 1,000 hits as a Brave. McCann made sure to pause and enjoy it, tipping his cap to the 19,526 fans on their feet as first-base coach Terry Pendleton retrieved the ball and tossed it to the Braves’ dugout.
“It’s a cool moment,” said McCann, who was drafted by the Braves 11 years ago out of Duluth High School. “When you’re a kid you never think you’re going to get a hit in the big leagues, let alone 1,000. So it’s a cool milestone, and I’m hoping to get many more.”
