73David O'Brien @ajcbraves1h Gattis' big bat could help soften blow of McCann's absence from #Braves in early season http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/baseball/gattis-emergence-could-soften-blow-of-mccanns-earl/nW2y9/ … Followed by A. Christian Living Collapse Reply Retweet Favorite Buffer More 2RETWEETS 4FAVORITES Slugger Gattis' emergence could help soften blow of McCann's early absence COMMENT(11) 1 1 296 426 By David O'Brien The Atlanta Journal-Constitution LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Catcher Brian McCann will start the season on the disabled list and likely miss at least a few weeks, which makes what Evan Gattis is doing this spring all the more important for the Braves. Gattis hit his third homer in 24 hours Saturday, a second-inning solo shot against Houston that caromed off the black screen above the center-field fence at Champion Stadium, 25 feet above the field and directly over the 400-foot marker. The 26-year-old rookie catcher/left fielder hit two homers Friday against Philadelphia and has a .388 average and team-best .796 slugging percentage. The homer off Astros right-hander Phillip Humber gave Gattis a team-high 10 extra-base hits in 49 at-bats. He caught Julio Teheran's splendid pitching performance Saturday – six scoreless innings, no hits, 10 strikeouts in a 3-2 win — after catching Friday when Paul Maholm gave up no earned runs (four unearned) in six innings against the Phillies. Gattis hasn't played above Double-A, but has hit for a high average and big power at every place the Braves have sent him, including a league-leading 16 homers in 195 at-bats this winter in Venezuela, where his .595 slugging percentage was 44 points above the league's next-highest. With McCann recovering from October shoulder surgery, veteran backup Gerald Laird was expected to handle the bulk of the catching duties in his...
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