Braves' Player Recap: Matt Diaz

Today outfielder Matt Diaz will be the topic for the Braves' recap.
Diaz broke into the major leagues back in 2003 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, as they were still called at the time. He came to Atlanta in 2006 as a free agent, left in 2011, only to be re-acquired by trade halfway through the '11 season from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has been a valuable bench asset for the Braves, as he can play both left field and right field, and he is a great contact hitter. For example, in his first five-year stint with the Braves, he hit above .300 in three of those seasons.
Diaz had a few good games this year, one of his best came against the Washington Nationals on May 25th, as he went two for four with a double and three RBI's. There were two bad parts to his season though. First, he had the lowest batting average of his career, hitting only .222, but that could have been caused by the second part. He had to have thumb surgery from a previous injury that ended his season after July 19th. He finished the season with low outputs due to playing only half the year. He had his .222 average with two home runs and 13 RBI's.
Diaz's chances of returning to the Braves took a hit after he was injured. The Braves went out and traded for Reed Johnson, another outfielder who is a great contact hitter, and can play all three outfield positions. Johnson is a free agent but the Braves want him back. If the Braves bring Diaz back, it will most likely be a minor league invite to spring training to see if he will have made a full recovery and join the team. Otherwise, Diaz might be looking for a new home.