ヘルナンデスインファンテの空虚さを埋めるに呼び戻さ
Before taking batting practice at Turner Field on Thursday night, Diory Hernandez wanted Martin Prado to ask Braves manager Bobby Cox how old he was. While chuckling at the question posed by the newest position player on his roster, Cox simply said, "viejo," which translates to "old" in the Spanish 熟女language. With limited English skills, Hernandez didn’t have the ability to wish Cox a happy 68th birthday. But if he continues to swing the bat like he has over the past few weeks for Triple-A Gwinnett, the 25-year-old infielder will at least be able to help the seasoned manager forget about the fact that he’s going to spend the next two months without the versatile services of Omar Infante. The left hand that Infante broke during the sixth inning of Wednesday night’s 12-4 win over the 熟女Rockies will be surgically repaired within the next few days, and he likely won’t return until after the All-Star break. The Braves are currently filling his roster spot with Hernandez, who got his first call to the Majors in time to be available for Thursday night’s series finale against the Rockies. "He’s been swinging the bat well all year for Gwinnett, and we’ll give him a shot to show what he can do up here," Cox said of Hernandez, who batted .355 (39-for-110) with 12 doubles in 29 games with Gwinnett this year. While Hernandez doesn’t possess the defensive skills or versatility of Infante, he can play each of the infield positions and provide the Braves another solid right-handed bat off the bench. But Hernandez’s defensive capabilities don’t allow him to fill Infante’s role as the club’s backup center fielder. When rookie center fielder Jordan Schafer eventually needs a day off, Cox will likely use either Matt Diaz or Jeff Francoeur at that position. Kelly Johnson, who broke into the Majors as a left fielder, could also be utilized there if necessary. Both Francoeur and Diaz spent their early Minor League days as a center fielder. Before Thursday night’s game, the Braves also announced that Jo-Jo Reyes had been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring that he suffered while running toward first base during Wednesday night’s eighth inning. This transaction created a roster space for right-handed pitcher Kris Medlen to make his first career start during Thursday night’s game.
