Barbaro

Canizares

Canizares is a defensive liability, but carries a big stick and will bat cleanup Thursday in his major league debut. The 29-year-old Cuban was hitting .344/.412/.533 with eight home runs and 37 RBI in 227 at-bats for Gwinnett.

Canizares hit .235 (4-for-17) in four games for the Braves this month, and with Casey Kotchman returning from the DL, there wasn’t room for the defensively challenged first baseman on the roster. Canizares should get another look with the Braves later in the season, but will play regularly at Triple-A for now.

Canizares hit .235 (4-for-17) in four games for the Braves during the month of June. He’ll back up brand new first baseman Adam LaRoche and act as a late-inning pinch-hitter.

It’s pretty clear that the only reason he was called up from Gwinnett on Friday was because Adam LaRoche was stranded in Baltimore. Canizares returns to a .306/.367/.469 line with Triple-A Gwinnett.