Evan Gattis is off the disabled list after missing the past four weeks with a bulging disk in his back and to make room for his return the Braves demoted fill-in catcher Christian Bethancourt to Triple-A.
Bethancourt got the bulk of the starts behind the plate with Gattis out, but the 22-year-old rookie hit just .240 with zero homers and a .543 OPS in 13 games along with a 14/2 K/BB ratio that suggests he was overmatched. His numbers in the minors have been similarly underwhelming of late.
Gattis, meanwhile, was having an All-Star caliber first half before the injury and dating back to his debut as a 26-year-old rookie last season he’s smacked 37 homers in 168 career games while posting an .821 OPS.