When talking about last season's September collapse Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said that he was too patient with slumping players and that is clearly working against Dan Uggla this season. Gonzalez informed Uggla on Sunday that he was being replaced in the starting lineup and that "he didn't know how much playing time he would get the rest of the way." For the second straight day Gonzalez has Martin Prado penciled in at second base and Uggla out of the lineup.
Uggla talked about the situation with MLB.com reporter Mark Bowman and says that Gonzalez really didn't explain anything to him.
"He just said we need to make a change and I do not know how much playing time you are going to get (the rest of the season)."
Uggla voiced his displeasure to Gonzalez on Sunday but the Braves manager indicated that he thought the veteran second baseman took it well.
"I think he took it the right way," Gonzalez said. "Obviously it's uncomfortable and it's hard, especially with the relationship I have with him. You want your players to be upset if they are not in there. But knowing him going through September, he's either going to have a big at-bat when he pinch hits. Or we're going to put him in a game and he's going to have a big game that gets us to the postseason."
Perhaps the only explanation that Uggla should get is the fact that he has hit .153 over his last 73 games.
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