Pitchers almost never walk into a big league box score as hitters anymore, but Victor Mederos found himself in exactly that spot Friday night for the Atlanta Braves against the Texas Rangers.
And he made it count.
Late in Atlanta’s blowout win, the Braves sent the right-hander to the plate and Mederos delivered a two-run single. It was the first time a pitcher had hit in MLB this year, and it also marked the first career hit for Mederos.
The moment came with Kyle Higashioka on the mound in a position-player pitching role. Higashioka is normally a catcher, but that didn’t take away from the novelty of the scene - or from Mederos cashing in when the Braves gave him the chance.
The reason for the at-bat was all about managing the rest of the game. Atlanta didn’t want to burn another reliever in a lopsided win, and the club also wanted to get some starters out of the game. To make that work, the Braves took Matt Olson out from first base and moved DH Dominic Smith to first, which removed the designated hitter and opened the door for the pitcher to hit.
Atlanta could have pinch-hit, but that would have forced someone else to handle the ninth inning. Instead, they left Mederos in the order.
For Mederos, the swing was even more unusual given his background. He never had an at-bat in college at Miami or Oklahoma State, and he also didn’t hit in collegiate summer ball in the Cape Cod League.
So when the chance finally came, it was the only one he needed.
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