MIAMI — Braves left fielder Justin Upton was healthy but given a rest day in Sunday's road-trip finale at Miami, the first time he was out of the lineup in 20 games and the fourth time all season. Gonzalez said Upton was healthy and available to pinch-hit.
Sunday’s rest day coupled with Monday’s off day in the schedule gives Upton two days to recharge before the Braves’ two-game series against the Mariners Tuesday and Wednesday.
If Gonzalez was going to rest Upton, it certainly made sense to do it in road game, as he continues producing some of the most extreme home-road splits of any Brave in recent memory.
Upton has hit a robust .400 (40-for-100) with 10 homers, 26 RBIs and a .483 on-base percentage and .790 slugging percentage in 29 home games, while in 24 road games before Sunday he batted just .194 (18-for-93) with three homers, seven RBIs and a .262 OBP and .344 slugging percentage.
Among hitters with at least 75 plate appearances in home games, Upton’s ranked second in the major leagues in both home average (.400) and OPS (1.273) behind Troy Tulowitzki (.521, 1.559) before Sunday. Meanwhile, Upton’s .194 road average ranked 188th and his .606 road OPS ranked 173rd among those with at least 75 road plate appearances.
After two home games against the Mariners and another off day Thursday, the Braves are back on the road for a week-long trip to Arizona (three games) and Colorado (four games).
If there’s any road ballpark for Upton to replicate what he’s done this season in home games, it’s Arizona’s Chase Field, where he played for the Diamondbacks before being traded to the Braves prior to the 2013 season. Upton, who still makes his offseason home in Scottsdale, Ariz., has a .308 average with 68 home runs, a .392 OBP and .551 slugging percentage in 367 games at Chase Field.
