Braves catcher Evan Gattis caught a few innings of baseball game for the first time since a bulging thoracic disc in his back put him on the disabled list on July 1.
“Gattis had a good day yesterday,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
The last full game Gattis caught for the Braves was on June 26. Since then Gattis has received and epidural in his lower back and on Thursday he began his rehab assignment at the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett.
He played as a designated hitter on Thursday and he caught the first five innings on Friday. Gonzalez has been in contact with Gwinnett Braves manager Brian Snitker after every game to get a Gattis status report.
“Evan (Gattis) told Brian (Snitker) that his timing has gotten better,” Gonzalez said. “He feels better every time he goes out there so I think we will make a decision either Sunday afternoon for him to be up here Monday.”
Neither Snitker nor Gonzalez had spoken to Gattis after his first night behind the plate in more than three weeks to see how he was feeling, but Gonzalez said he doesn’t expect anything except maybe a little stiffness.
Snitker had Gattis hit second in Gwinnett’s batting rotation Saturday night against the Durham Bulls.
“I said, yeah go get ‘em,” Gonzalez said jokingly. “Don’t be asking him to bunt or hit and run, I don’t know if he could that but he’s just trying to get as many at-bats as he can…, which is a good idea.”
As of Saturday night, Gattis has 10 at-bats since starting with the G-Braves. He ended the night, after catching seven innngs, with two strikeouts and one hit in four at bats.
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