so far …

It wasn’t exactly Jason Heyward going yard on opening day for the big club, but Michael Daniel made his Mississippi Braves debut on Wednesday night with a home run in his first at-bat. A one-day case of catching lightning in a bottle? We’ll see. Daniel, 25, was released by Washington earlier this month after hitting .182 at Double-A Harrisburg. The Braves signed the North Carolina alum and sent him to Class A Myrtle Beach, where he was hitting .143 when summoned to Mississippi (see previous post). Daniel was once considered a prospect with the Nationals. He can play center field, has some pop in his bat and reportedly runs well. Maybe he’ll help the M-Braves, but doesn’t it seem like Atlanta is just sticking gum on the many leaks in its minor league system? Where is the young talent Braves fans have grown accustomed to seeing in Pearl?
P.S. In his first start since making a trade request, Weir’s Roy Oswalt was lights out for Houston on Wednesday night. He threw eight shutout innings and got the win (a rarity) in the Astros’ 5-0 victory over Milwaukee. For the year, the former Holmes Community College star is 3-6 despite a 2.35 ERA. It’s no wonder, really, that he wants out. Whoever gets him will be significantly improved. He can pitch, obviously, and he battles to the end, a nice combination to have.