Atlanta Braves Dan Uggla “I’m 100% ready”

For Braves fans, Dan Uggla has struggled at the plate for years and continued to decline in 2013, but now gets LASIK surgery and all is better, right?  Well, on Monday he started his rehab in Gwinnett going 0-3 with two strikeouts and here comes the bashing again.  But one day later, he claims he’s ready to return.

Jun 30, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla (26) celebrates a two run home run in the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Danny Ugg, playing in his second rehab game for Gwinnett, put the G-Braves into the lead as he crushed a fastball from Tides’ right-hander Steve Johnson over the left field fence for a solo home run top in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Uggla’s blast was his first career Triple-A hit and snapped a 17-game homerless streak for Gwinnett.

After the game, Uggla spoke with the media saying, “My vision wasn’t horrible, but when you’re trying to hit and recognize pitches and you’re used to seeing 20/15 and then you can’t, it’s tough.”

Ok great, Uggla smokes one fastball over the fence and he’s back?  Before this home run, he picked up two more strikeouts earlier in the game and was 0-5 with four strikeouts.  Yes, he’s been on the DL for a couple weeks now and might of needed a few at-bats to get his swing back so lets not base our assumptions off his first five at bats.  Lets judge him on his last two at-bats of the night.  He added a single to left in the seventh inning finishing the night going 2-4 in Gwinnett’s extra inning loss to Norfolk, 4-3.

Braves expected Uggla’s rehab to be a two-game injury rehabilitation assignment and Tuesday night was supposedly the final outing.  Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he would give Uggla the option of playing one more game in Gwinnett if he wanted more at-bats but I’m not sure if he nor Braves Nation can wait another day.

Gonzalez told reports in his post game rant, “We’ll check with him this evening, but I think he’ll be here tomorrow.  He got seven at-bats the last two days.  His timing is getting better and better, so hopefully we can get him to come up here and do what he can do.”

I’m pretty sure at this stage in the season and getting ever so close to the beginning of September, the Braves are ecstatic a regular will be returning to the lineup.  Let’s hope Uggla can get on track and be the player we all hoped he’d be when we got him from the Marlins.

Tomahawk Take will update you when we get the word if Uggla returns to Atlanta but with the statement he said post game, it looks like we will see him in the lineup on Wednesday…

“I’m glad I got it done, I’m glad I’m back,” said Uggla.  “I’m 100% ready to get back (to Atlanta).”