eyes on linares

The news about Chipper Jones — possible torn ACL, maybe done for the year, maybe done forever — suddenly shifts more attention to Mississippi Braves third baseman Donell Linares. Is he the Atlanta third baseman of the future? Tough call. He has handled himself well in his first Double-A season, as a 26-year-old who’ll be 27 in October. The Cuba native is hitting .253 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs, but he lacks speed. Doesn’t strike out a lot, but doesn’t walk much. He makes the routine plays at third and has a good arm. He’s made 14 errors in 96 games at the hot corner. It’s been a good season, not a great one. Consistent, but not a breakthrough. The M-Braves are home tonight; check out Linares. See what you think.