Adonis Garcia, Eric O'Flaherty return from DL; Braves recall Johan Camargo
The returns of Adonis Garcia and Eric O'Flaherty from the disabled list -- and the removal of the players they replaced on the 25-man roster -- were expected ahead of the Braves' series opener with the Reds on Friday night.
But bringing back utility man Johan Camargo added another wrinkle as Emilio Bonifacio was designated for assignment and Jace Peterson and Matt Wisler were optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Peterson's demotion may come as a surprise, but he's hitting .194/.293/.259 in 108 at-bats, including a .120 average the past 18 games and was hitting .091 vs. left-handed pitching.
Meanwhile, the switch-hitting Camargo earned a second look with a .314 average at Triple-A, including four homers and he hit .337/.365/.506 in May.
Last season, Peterson benefitted from a stint in the minors, returning to post a .362 on-base percentage in the last 77 games with 23 extra-base hits.
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Bonifacio being DFA'd had been long expected. He had a slash line of .132/.150/.211 and and OPS+ of minus-6. Only five players with at least 40 plate appearances have a worst OPS+ in all of baseball.
The move to put Wisler -- who had a 7.00 ERA in six relief appearances -- could give the Braves the opportunity to stretch him out for a return to the rotation. The 24-year-old righty made 53 starts the past two seasons.
With Rio Ruiz (.244/.306/.356) staying on the roster, he's expected to be in a platoon with Garcia at third.
Garcia got the start at third base in his return, hitting seventh as the Braves face Cincinnati right-hander Bronson Arroyo. Garcia has six extra-base hits against righties this season and one vs. left-handers. He was hitting .237/.278/.348 with four home runs and three doubles before suffering a hamstring injury May 17.
"Right now, I might play Adonis a couple days in a row and give Rio a day," manager Brian Snitker told reporters. "We don't see any left-handers ever. It would be hard to platoon. We'll just kind of work Adonis back in there."
O'Flaherty was put on the DL May 20 with a lower back strain. Before his injury, the lefty had a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings over 18 games.
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney and Facebook. His books, 'Tales from the Atlanta Braves Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest Braves Stories Ever Told,' and 'The Heisman Trophy: The Story of an American Icon and Its Winners.' are now available.
