Matt Diaz should be every Braves fan’s hero. He plays the game the way we would as he crashes into walls, hustles on ground balls and generally leaves it all on the field. He looks like the kid trying out for the varsity team that isn’t as good as the older guys, but is trying to make it with heart and hard work.
Diaz has been on the shelf since May 27 with a strained PCL in his left knee and the Braves have been struggling since he left. Before the injury, Diaz was not having a stellar season at the plate, hitting just .250 with one home run, but throughout his career, Diaz crushes lefties (.333 for his career) and shines at home (.319 for his career). The Braves lineup has struggled with southpaws all season (.270 as a team) and they could certainly use him back in the lineup on this road trip, especially with Philly looming. Reports say that Diaz is lobbying his doctors for clearance to use a less-constructive knee brace. He thinks he could come off the DL with this brace that would help him with his mobility. Diaz told coaches last week that he thinks he could go, but he’d “have to wait until [he got] out there.” He wondered how the knee would hold up if he had to slide. “We’ll see,” is what he told coaches before hitting the batting cage to take a few swings.
Gregor Blanco appears to have leftfield locked up and is the new leadoff man, but Blanco could also shift over to center every now and then and Diaz would certainly offer some pop as a pinch hitter.
Diaz may not get back to tearing the cover off the ball this season (he was 6-27 in 7 rehab games for AA-Mississippi) but his dirt-dog attitude is lacking right now in the Braves clubhouse. The team could use a sparkplug like Diaz, a guy that looks like he plays the game like he will get a juicebox and snack after the game. This team needs something; otherwise the season might just slip away.
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