Atlanta Braves Rely on Matt Diaz for Clutch Hitting

Matt Diaz, the platooning left fielder for the Atlanta Braves, came through big again Monday night as the Braves faced off against the Mets. In the critical seventh inning with Johan Santana removed, Diaz punched the ball over the infield to bring in two runs. His hit began the Braves' splurge of eight runs over the next two innings, sealing the deal and labeling the game a "blowout."

The tricky thing is that this is not the first time Diaz has come through in the clutch toward the end of a game. He has not been a consistent starter since 2006, but a platoon option for Bobby Cox—especially because he is so good against left-handed pitchers.

His stats this year aren't extremely impressive (.258 average and 13 RBI out of 66 at-bats). However, one has to take into account the fact that he has only played in 20 games.

In addition, if you look at Garret Anderson, who has been injured for most of this year so far, Diaz's stats are better. Brandon Jones is the other Braves' left fielder, and he has one RBI over 13 at-bats in five games.

Clearly, the sample size is not big enough to show who is the most productive. The assumption everywhere is that Anderson, the veteran the Braves signed in the offseason, will be the extra punch they need when he is completely healthy.

The important question to consider, though, is whether playing Anderson every day instead of Diaz will hurt the Braves. Braves manager Bobby Cox will undoubtedly continue platooning the two, but if Anderson is healthy, it will more likely be 80-20 rather than 50-50 when it comes to how much time Diaz plays.

Diaz lost a lot of weight in the offseason, played well in spring training, and has shown that he can hit in the clutch late in game. Whether his hard work will pay off with more playing time is left to be seen.

Regardless, its a problem that Bobby Cox is probably glad to have. Rather than trying to apply a patch to a bad "leak," having two veteran players vying for the same spot will bring out the best in both of them.