3 Atlanta Braves playing their way off the postseason roster
By Mark Powell
Braves playing their way off the roster: Nicky Lopez
Nicky Lopez isn't known for his bat, but he needs to show more at the plate if he's to earn a spot over a player of a similar variety who can hit. Lopez can play multiple infield positions, which is why Anthopoulos acquired him from the Kansas City Royals in the first place. It was another wise acquisition by AA, as the Braves lack significant infield depth at multiple positions. When Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia went down at various times in the second half, the Braves knew they could rely on Lopez defensively.
However, Lopez is hitting just .118 over his last seven games and .205 over his last 15 games. It's a small sample size, but every at-bat matters for a player like Lopez, who is hoping to earn his way onto the postseason roster with versatility. Players like Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake can also offer this skill -- though Lopez is far superior to Grissom defensively -- but with a little more pop in their bat.
If Lopez is to secure his spot (and he's certainly the favorite to do so right now), he needs to break out of his recent slump and prove that he can at least be counted on from productive at-bats. Right now, that's simply not the case.