JUPITER, Fla. – Hector Olivera has played more than any other Brave this spring, and that’s by design. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez wants to get him plenty of repetitions in his new left-field position, after the team switched Olivera from third base at winter ball in Puerto Rico.
He leads the Braves in plate appearances and hits this spring, including a leadoff double in the fourth inning Thursday against the Marlins, Olivera’s 10th hit and first extra-base hit in seven Grapefruit League games. It came in his 21st at-bat and 22nd plate appearance (he had a sacrifice fly, no walks and only one strikeout this spring).
He then scored on Jeff Francoeur’s two-run homer, the first of the spring for the non-roster invitee competing for a backup outfield job.
Although the Braves have insisted they haven’t given up entirely on Olivera playing third base, he hasn’t played there at all since the 2015 season ended. He played third base as a 30-year-old rookie, after playing second base for many years in Cuba.
The Braves believed that learning left field would be easier for Olivera than third base and might help him thrive more on offense, since it’s his bat that will ultimately make or break him in the big leagues.
“We’re here to find out, see him playing left field and just getting acclimated to a big-league spring training,” Gonzalez said of Olivera, who has had two or three potentially catchable balls land in front of him or behind him due to late jumps, questionable routes and/or difficult conditions (wind, sun).
“He’s been fine,” Gonzalez said. “I’m sure he’ll get better and more comfortable, but anything he gets to he’ll catch. His arm strength has been surprisingly good. I think the more comfortable he gets with reps, he’s going to be more aggressive with some of the fly balls that are kind of dropping in a little bit, that he’s not sure about.
“But I think he’ll be fine. I think he’ll be better than fine.”
