the new guy

The Mississippi Braves may have solved their power problem. Evan Gattis, promoted from A-ball earlier this week when Christian Bethancourt went out with an injury, blasted a home run at Mobile on Thursday — in his second game with the M-Braves. The rest of the team has four (three belonging to Ian Gac) in 28 games. If Gattis sticks around, he’s a good bet to hit some more bombs. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound catcher (who can also play outfield) hit nine in 21 games at Class A Lynchburg this spring after belting 22 (to go with a .322 average) at low-A Rome in 2011. Gattis’ story is an interesting one. A highly touted high school player in Texas, he was out of the game for roughly four years battling personal issues. He finally wound up at Texas-Permian Basin and was drafted in the 23rd round by Atlanta in 2010. He is 25 years old and, judging from the early returns, looks ready for the rigors of Double-A ball. He’s hitting .417 in his three games. The M-Braves, scuffling along at 10-18, return to Pearl on Sunday.