Evan Gattis sickness something for Braves to keep an eye on
By Todd Salem
Evan Gattis was scratched from the Braves’ lineup last night because of a virus. There is no indication that this is a long-term concern for the young catcher, but it is something worth keeping an eye on. The reason being, Gattis is one of the lone bright spots for the Atlanta Braves offense this season, and they can’t afford to be without him for long.
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While Atlanta’s pitching has been incredible and peerless, its offense has been very bad. While Gattis isn’t a big on-base guy, he is one of just a few Braves hitting for power this season. Gattis’ eight home runs are good for third on the club, even though he’s just seventh in at-bats and hasn’t yet played enough to qualify for the batting title.
Gattis also “only” has 30 strikeouts. That seems like a lot until you compare him to his Atlanta teammates. B.J. Upton has already struck out 57 times in 41 games. In fact, Gattis is one of seven Braves players with at least 29 Ks on the season.
The possibilities for starting catcher in Gattis’ stead are also cause for alarm. Ryan Doumit and Gerald Laird are long-time veterans, but neither one can hit enough to play everyday anymore.