VIERA, Fla. -- The last thing the Braves needed to see was Jason Heyward, after he missed three games with a sore groin, sprawled at home plate after being thrown out trying to score from first base.
That's what happened Sunday during the Braves' 5-0 win over Washington. The 245-pound right fielder was thrown out at the plate after barreling around the basepaths on an Alex Gonzalez double to center field.
Heyward slid on his left side, a scene that briefly left a lump in his manager’s throat.
"Yes, when he came around to the plate," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "All of a sudden you're going, 'Get up, get up.' But then he got up, and he was fine."
The Braves breathed easier after the 2010 All-Star returned to the dugout.
“[Tested] right away,” said Heyward, who came out as planned after his third plate appearance.
He went 1-for-1 with a walk and was hit by a pitch on the back of his lower left leg. He will be in the lineup on Monday for the Braves’ road game against the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla.
“Everything felt good,” said Heyward, who missed three games with a mild left groin strain. “That play [at the plate] happens a lot different during the season. ... I’m scoring easily."
Martinez bids for bullpen spot
A year ago, Gonzalez's Marlins didn't have a spot for reliever Cristhian Martinez on their major league roster. Today, Gonzalez's Braves are glad that was the case.
Martinez had five strikeouts in two innings on Sunday, continuing to make a strong case for inclusion in the Braves bullpen.
Starter Tommy Hanson worked three crisp innings (one strikeout, one walk) and combined with four relievers on a two-hit shutout.
"Every time we run him out there he runs up zeroes," Gonzalez said of Martinez, who struck out five of the seven batters he faced on his 29th birthday, including slugger Jayson Werth.
Laynce Nix's groundball single with one out in the fifth was the first hit by the Nationals. Martinez struck out the next two batters. He's worked 5-2/3 scoreless innings this spring.
With six bullpen jobs presumably set -- right-handers Peter Moylan, Craig Kimbrel and Scott Linebrink; lefties Jonny Venters, Eric O'Flaherty and George Sherrill -- Martinez might be competing with Scott Proctor, Anthony Varvaro, Juan Abreu and Steve Marek for one spot.
Martinez has more versatility than others.
“He can give you two innings, three innings, spot-start for you,” said Gonzalez, who had Martinez on his 2009 Marlins. “He can be the guy that can really save the bullpen at any given time, because he throws strikes. And he’s not afraid to challenge hitters. ...
"In a long rain delay, you can lose your starter and run him out there and feel real good about it.”
A year ago, the Marlins optioned Martinez to Triple-A late in spring training, then designated him for assignment April 3. The Braves claimed him off waivers five days later, and Martinez split time between the majors and Triple-A Gwinnett.
His 4.58 ERA in 18 games for the Braves wasn't good. But before being charged with four runs in two-thirds of an inning in his last game Sept. 1 against Philadelphia, he had a 2.30 ERA and .220 opponents’ average in 11 appearances over three months.
Hanson starts, Vizcaino finishes
For many Braves fans watching Sunday's game on MLB Network, it was the first chance to see prized prospect Arodys Vizcaino, 20. The hard-throwing right-hander, making his second spring appearance, allowed one hit and had one strikeout in the ninth inning.
Vizcaino was the Yankee' top-rated pitching prospect before going to the Braves with Melky Cabrera and lefty Mike Dunn in a January trade last year for pitcher Javier Vazquez.
Vizcaino was shut down last summer with a partial elbow ligament tear, and the Braves were advised to let it heal without surgery. He resumed pitching at the end of the season.
He was rated 93rd in Baseball America's Top 100 prospects list last month, behind fellow Braves prospects Randall Delgado (35th) and Julio Teheran (5th).
Teheran will likely make his spring debut on Monday against the Marlins.
Etc.
Chipper Jones was 1-for-3 with a double and played third base for the third time in four games. ... Second baseman Dan Uggla will not make the trip for Monday's game against the Marlins, the first between the teams since he was traded from Florida. ... Planned lineup Monday: 1, Martin Prado, LF; 2, Nate McLouth, CF; 3, Jason Heyward, RF; 4, Brian McCann, C; 5, Eric Hinske, 3B; 6, Freddie Freeman, 1B; 7, Ed Lucas, 2B; 8, Diory Hernandez ,SS; 9, Tim Hudson, RHP.
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