LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Nearly three weeks since he last played for the Braves, Gold Glove center fielder Ender Inciarte was back from the World Baseball Classic and atop the lineup Thursday night for a Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. It was a welcome sight for him and Braves teammates.
“I had a chance to play a lot of real games where you put 100 percent effort,” Inciarte said of the WBC, where his Venezuela team advanced out of pool play before losing all three games in the second round. “I’m not going to lie, I was looking forward to coming back and being able to play with the (Braves), because I’m looking forward to what this season’s going to be like.”
The Braves had their projected lineup together just once before he left, and that was when the regulars were playing only a few innings. With seven games (including Thursday) left before the team breaks camp in Florida, Braves players were glad to have Inciarte back for the final stretch.
And with five of the last seven games at Champion Stadium and another in nearby Lakeland, Braves regulars will get plenty of playing time the rest of the way.
“It’s nice to have the whole lineup,” said Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who got back last week after playing in the WBC for Canada. “I checked out the lineup and it’s nice to see what we think we’ll probably be April 3 (for opening day). It’s going to be interesting to see. We haven’t played together. We have about seven days left here, so hopefully everybody can get locked in.
“A lot of guys are starting to feel good at the plate, so hopefully getting everybody playing together brings a little bit more excitement, knowing that it’s close. Start ramping things up here.”
Inciarte last played for the Braves March 4, then flew to Arizona for Team Venezuela’s mini-camp, then to Mexico for WBC pool play, and finally to San Diego for the second round of the international tournament, where they lost to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and eventual champion United States.
Inciarte was 7-for-24 (.292) with three doubles and three RBIs in seven games for Venezuela. The team had a star-laden lineup including Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Gonzalez and Jose Altuve and was among the pre-tournament favorites. But Venezuela didn’t hit as expected and had a few significant injuries as the tournament wore on.
“(Inciarte) made some great plays — people were like, wow,” said Braves bench coach Eddie Perez, who was on Venezuela’s coaching staff in the WBC. “He got some big hits for us, he was one of the only guys (who hit consistently).”
Perez said Venezuela’s travel schedule proved to be challenging, and he felt bad for the injured players including former Brave Martin Prado, Venezuela’s top hitter in the tournament before suffering a severe hamstring strain during the second round.
“It was fun. It was different,” Perez said. “Just to hear all the criticism now from people in Venezuela is bad. They go over the limit. They’re not like here (in the United States), they don’t tell you, ‘It’s OK, you tried your best.’ No, you’re supposed to win (in Venezuela).”
Inciarte, who hadn’t previously played for a Venezuela national team, said, “It was probably the best experience I had on the baseball field, being able to play with all the guys I really have admired since I was little, and playing with Miggy, Cargo, Altuve – all those guys I’ve always admired from the other dugout. It was really a fun experience to be able to play with them.”
Asked what he’ll remember most from the tournament, Inciarte cited a March 11 game against Italy, when Venezuela trailed 5-0 and won, 11-10. Prado was 5-for-5 with three RBIs in that game. Inciarte was 0-for-5, his worst offensive game in the tournament and one of only two hitless games for him in seven.
The fact that Inciarte pointed to that game as the highlight of his experience says plenty about his team-first attitude.
“When we were playing against Italy, everybody started to click and swing the bat better,” Inciarte said. “All the guys were having so much fun in the dugout. We were just pulling for each other. That was a special moment. It felt like Venezuela, all of us just pulling for each other. That’s the kind of atmosphere I want from any team. You play for your brothers. That’s the same thing I want to do here, play for them and they play for me.
“That’s the best way you can do to win ball games. And even if you don’t, you’re giving everything you can.”
In his first game back with the Braves, Inciarte was excited to see all the projected starters listed in the lineup.
“Everybody’s just trying to get ready for the season, but it’s good to see what the lineup’s going to look like and be able to play with the guys,” he said before pregame batting practice. “It’s fun to be back. I like these guys, I like this team. I’m back now. It feels like I was out for a long time.”
