Jordan Schafer was in the Braves’ starting lineup for only the fourth time this season Sunday, playing center field against the Cubs as Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez gave B.J. Upton a breather.
Schafer had an extra pep in his step Sunday morning.
“It’s a nice sight, I must say,” said Schafer, who has had only 21 plate appearances in the Braves’ first 35 games before Sunday. “I’ll take it. Sure not going to complain.”
As the fourth outfielder playing behind B.J Upton, Justin Upton, and Jason Heyward, Schafer’s playing time has been limited. He spoke to manager Fredi Gonzalez about it on Wednesday afternoon. Gonzalez was open with the media about that meeting later that day, which came as a surprise to Schafer.
“I didn’t know it was going to be made public,” Schafer said. “It was just me going in there, voicing my opinion, and I didn’t want it to seem like I was going in there whining and crying. I was just going in there speaking my opinion and he’s the manager. He can do with it whatever he wants.”
Wanting to give Upton a breather with a day game after a night game, and after he went 0-for-6 with five strikeouts in his past two games, probably had more to do with the lineup change than a specific conversation. But Gonzalez came out of that Wednesday meeting commending Schafer for coming to him and speaking his mind.
Schafer faced the likes of Nathan Eovaldi, Zack Wheeler and Jose Fernandez in his first three starts, going 0-for-3 each time. He was hoping for better against Edwin Jackson.
“It’s definitely hard because you know it might be the only at-bats you get for a couple weeks,” said Schafer, when asked if there was temptation to try to do too much with his four at-bats.
“I understand the situation here right now,” he said. “It’s just obviously I’d like to get more at-bats. Just go in and do what I can when I’m in there.”
