A former World Series MVP, Pablo Sandoval has found a second life to his major league career as a pinch hitter and positive clubhouse presence.
In fact, when hasn't been hitting pinch-hit home runs for the Atlanta Braves in 2021, Sandoval has become part of a unique home run celebration: being the player that gets to hug whoever just went deep.
Braves manager Brian Snitker says that he gets a kick out of watching players meet Sandoval in the dugout for a bear - or perhaps panda, in this case - hug after hitting a home run.
"He's a pretty huggable guy. Look at him, I'd want to give him one myself," Snitker said with a chuckle to the collective media, including David O'Brien of The Athletic. "[Lively] is probably a mild description of what goes on in that dugout. There's a lot of energy. God bless 'em. These guys have fun playing baseball - good, bad or ugly."
It hasn't been all good for the Braves in 2021, as the three-time defending National League East Champions have struggled to get consistent starting pitching. Max Fried has regressed after a career year in 2020. Mike Soroka had a setback in his recovery from a torn achilles that required exploratory surgery. To this point, neither Charlie Morton or Drew Smyly, two offseason additions, have delivered the expected return on investment for the Braves. And Huascar Ynoa, who had been the team's best pitcher in 2021, is now out with a broken hand, an injury he sustained after punching the dugout.
But while the Braves will enter play Monday night with a 23-24 record, they're just 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the National League East. Sandoval, who has four home runs and 10 RBIs primarily coming off the bench, is a major reason why the Braves have been able to stay afloat early on.
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