Melvin Upton Jr. returned to Turner Field for the first time Monday since batting .198 and making $27.1 million over the previous two years with the Braves.
But this time he’s in the visiting clubhouse as a member of the new-look San Diego Padres.
“Going in a different entrance, pulling up in a different side of the stadium,” Upton said. “I didn’t even know how to get out of the clubhouse.”
Monday was Upton’s first day on the active roster after rehabbing an inflamed left foot all spring and early summer. He had just spent a couple of weeks on assignment with San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate, batting .280 with a homer and six RBIs in 13 games.
Those numbers would have been a welcomed sight for Braves fans who saw the former No. 2 overall pick vastly underperform expectations after signing a five-year, $72.5 million deal in 2013.
“(My time with Atlanta) is over with. There’s nothing I can do about it now,” he said. “(I can) just try to be the ballplayer I’ve been in the past and do that with a new ball club.”
Upton landed in sunny San Diego as part of the same trade that sent Craig Kimbrel west a day before Opening Day. He reunited with his brother Justin Upton, who had been traded to San Diego from Atlanta in December.
Justin Upton didn’t necessarily need a fresh start. While his numbers were below what they’d been in Arizona, Upton bat .267 with 56 homers and 172 RBIs in his two years with the Braves.
A change of scenery was probably the best thing for Melvin Upton Jr., though, who followed his two dreadful years in Atlanta by injuring his foot on the first day of full-squad workouts at spring training.
“I got a fresh start this spring training, and that’s kind of what I’ve been looking forward to,” Upton said. “Looking forward to a fresh start and playing baseball.”
He said he didn’t expect the rehab process to take this long, but the time off gave him time to work on his game and implement minor changes he hopes can translate to big changes in the boxscore.
Upton wasn’t in the starting lineup Monday, but he’s available off the bench.
