SAN FRANCISCO – Michael Harris II laughed as he thought about how weird it felt to be back with the Braves.
“It kind of feels like the first day of school,” Harris said. “It feels like I haven’t seen them in a while. I just saw them last week. But it’s just been a while since I’ve been out there with them and I’m just excited to be back.”
The Braves on Wednesday plan to activate Harris from the 60-day injured list. He should give them an immediate boost because he’s one of their starters, and they haven’t played with him since the middle of June.
“It was, I guess, a long process – longer than expected,” Harris said. “It feels weird being back somehow, but I’m glad to be back and excited for (Wednesday).”
He went 10-for-23 on a six-game rehab assignment. He played two games – 14 innings – in center field. He homered once and drove in two runs.
About that homer …
“That felt really good because I kind of told myself I wanted to do that before I got up there, and somehow did it,” Harris said.
His bat should be a nice addition to a lineup that has struggled for much of the season. But his defense? That’ll also be huge for Atlanta.
“It’ll be awesome, it’ll be great,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s been a long time without him. We see what a special player he is, what he can provide.”
What can Harris bring?
“I guess just the same thing I’ve been trying to do ever since I got called up: Just be myself, try to get on base, try to make outs on defense, try to get to the next base safely and score runs – and have fun while doing it,” Harris said.
A.J. Minter to see specialist
Snitker was asked if there’s an update on A.J. Minter, who on Monday landed on the 15-day injured list due to left hip inflammation.
“Not yet,” Snitker said. “I don’t know that he was looked at yet, quite honestly.”
Snitker said Minter went to see a specialist about the hip ailment – the same one he dealt with when he went on the injured list earlier this season.
Minter came back and pitched through it until he no longer could – a sign of his selflessness.
“Oh, I know,” Snitker said. “He’s a guy that he never didn’t want to pitch and he wanted to be in leverage situations, and he wanted to just keep going. He didn’t want to give in to anything. I think he tried to fight it the best he could and it just didn’t work out for him. Hopefully this is something that – we don’t know. We have to wait and see what the severity is. But I got a lot of respect for that guy because he’s a gamer, man, and he’s been such a big part of what we’ve done here over the last few years.”
Laureano starts in right field
The Braves have a decision coming up: When Harris is activated, how will they clear the 26-man roster spot?
Could they designate Adam Duvall or Laureano for assignment? Perhaps.
But they might simply option Eli White, who started Tuesday’s game in center field. This way, they wouldn’t have to throw away depth in cutting Laureano or Duvall – though neither has played too well lately.
On Tuesday, with the Braves facing Giants lefty Kyle Harrison for the first time, Snitker went with Laureano in right field over Duvall.
“We don’t have any history with (the matchup against Harrison), it was just more to give Adam a break,” Snitker said. “He hasn’t been going real good and I just thought giving him a day for his mind to relax. And it doesn’t hurt to have Laureano’s spot in that right-center field out there, too, along with Eli (White).”
Since the start of July, Duvall is batting .194. He’s hitting .178 this season.
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