With Melvin Upton Jr. activated from the disabled list this weekend, the San Diego Padres will likely have three motivated players available for their series against the Atlanta Braves.
Upton, brother Justin Upton and Braves all-time saves leader Craig Kimbrel will make their return to Atlanta in Monday night's series opener
Justin Upton was the first of those three players to exit Atlanta, leaving in a six-player deal Dec. 19. The Braves and Padres got together on another six-player trade April 5, sending Kimbrel and Melvin Upton Jr. to the West Coast for Cameron Maybin, the now-retired Carlos Quentin and a pair of prospects.
Justin Upton had 56 homers and 172 RBIs in two seasons with the Braves, and drove in a career-best 102 runs in 2014. He's batting .297 with team highs of 12 homers and 37 RBIs for the Padres.
Kimbrel had 186 saves in his five seasons in Atlanta, including 50 in 2013, and is 13 for 14 on his opportunities with the Padres.
San Diego (29-29) activated Melvin Upton - formerly known as B.J. - from the disabled list Sunday, and he hasn't played in the majors since the trade because of an ailing left foot. He wasn't nearly as successful as his brother in Atlanta with a .198 average, 21 homers and 61 RBIs in two years.
"Unfortunately, it happened the way it did for the Braves and on my side. I'll take the blame for that. I can't point the finger at anyone else," he told MLB's official website in April.
Shelby Miller (5-2, 1.89 ERA) could be the first pitcher to face the Upton brothers this season and will take on a Padres team that batted .307 and scored 29 runs over a season-high four-game win streak, which was snapped Sunday. San Diego had four hits in a 4-0 loss in Cincinnati.
Atlanta (27-29) was batting .315 with 50 runs in a seven-game stretch before a 3-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Maybin had three hits of Atlanta's six hits and is batting .415 with eight RBIs in his last nine games.
The Braves haven't taken advantage of that hitting, losing four of their last five - a result of allowing 33 runs in those contests.
The usually steady Miller began that stretch by allowing four runs over 4 1-3 innings in Tuesday 7-6 loss at Arizona. He had a 1.48 ERA in his first 10 starts and was 2-1 with a 0.95 ERA in his five in May.
"I didn't get in the groove-type thing, but those kind of days happen," Miller said. "You are still human."
Miller was 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts against the Padres last season while with St. Louis.
He'll pitch opposite Ian Kennedy (3-5, 6.60), who snapped a four-start losing streak Tuesday. The right-hander yielded two runs in six innings in a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets after registering a 9.31 ERA in his prior four outings.
Kennedy gave up one run and two hits in five innings in his only start against Atlanta last season, a 3-2 win in 12 innings Aug. 2. Freddie Freeman doubled in one of his two at-bats against him in and is 6 for 10 lifetime.
Jonny Gomes is 0 for 5 with three strikeouts against Kennedy but is batting .439 in a 12-game hit streak versus San Diego.
Yonder Alonso is batting .371 in 11 career matchups against Atlanta.
