CHICAGO — A three-week hitting binge before the break helped earn Brian McCann a spot as an injury replacement on the National League All-Star team, and the veteran Braves catcher said he felt ready to resume his surge.
“I feel as good as I did before (the break),” McCann said before Friday night’s interleague series opener against the White Sox. “I’m excited about the second half.”
McCann went 25-for-61 (.410) with six doubles, five homers and 15 RBIs in his last 16 games before the All-Star break, with a .464 OBP and only eight strikeouts in that span. He showed no lingering rust or other ill effects of the October shoulder surgery that forced him to miss the first six weeks of the season.
McCann had a .291 average, 12 homers and 32 RBIs in 53 games before Friday. Among major league catchers who had at least 200 plate appearances, his .910 on-base-plus-slugging percentage ranked second to San Francisco All-Star Buster Posey’s .931, and well ahead of the next-highest: Minnesota’s Joe Mauer (.875) and St. Louis’ Yadier Molina (.875).
McCann and Posey were tied for the highest slugging percentage (.536) among major league catchers with at least 200 PAs.
McCann’s homer total was tied for sixth among catchers, one behind Posey, who had 13 in 323 at-bats (McCann had 179 ABs).
As the third catcher on an All-Star team that had Posey and Molina, McCann knew that if he got in Tuesday’s All-Star game, it wouldn’t be until the late innings, and that he might not play at all. He didn’t get in the game, the first time in his seven All-Star games that he didn’t see any action. McCann said it didn’t detract from the experience.
“What makes those games is sitting in the clubhouse, talking to the guys that you play against every day,” he said.
That, plus he got to see Mariano Rivera presumably pitch for the last time in an All-Star game.
“Another moment that I’ll never forget,” McCann said of the retiring Yankees closer. “I think once I’m done playing baseball, in about 20 years I’ll look back, when they play that moment over and over. It’ll be more special that it is now, just because his legend will grow. He’s by far the best closer of all time, and people put him up there as one of the best pitchers that ever pitched. So it was definitely a cool memory.”
Rotation possibilities: The Braves switched the rotation order of Kris Medlen and Julio Teheran, with Teheran moving up to the fourth spot coming out of the break and Medlen dropping to No. 5.
With rookie left-hander Alex Wood sent back to the minors to get stretched out to start again, there has been speculation that Wood could move into Medlen’s rotation spot. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Medlen would start Tuesday against the Mets and that Wood was not being considered for that start.
He said the Braves are getting Wood prepared to start so they have some starting depth. Brandon Beachy, who has spent 13 months recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery, could also be ready to return from the DL soon, whenever the Braves decide he’s ready and they have a rotation spot to fill.
If the Braves are confident in their starting-rotation depth, it could permit them to trade a starting pitcher in order to fill other needs, such as bullpen reinforcements or a left-handed-hitting bench player.
