Mauricio Dubón Continues to Prove He Belongs in Braves' Lineup

The Atlanta Braves didn't acquire Mauricio Dubón with the expectation that he'd be one of the focal points of their offense, but early struggles at the shortstop position have left the door cracked open for the utility man.

Dubón arrived in Atlanta carrying a reputation as a versatile defender capable of moving all over the diamond. The offensive production was viewed more as a bonus. Lately, however, the Braves have been getting much more than that.

Dubón finished 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, an RBI double and three RBI overall in Friday night's 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. More importantly, it continued a stretch that is becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss as a short-term hot streak. He has now homered in three consecutive games, the first three-game home run streak of his career, while collecting seven RBI and four runs scored during that span.

Braves manager Walt Weiss has increasingly leaned on Dubón while searching for offensive production at shortstop. Ha-Seong Kim's alarmingly poor start has kept him out of the lineup for six of the past eight games, creating additional opportunities for Dubón to play a larger role.

"It's easy for me to write Dubón's name in the lineup, with what he's doing and what he's been doing all year for us," said Weiss, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. "He seems to be in the middle of a lot of really good things this year."

Dubón's home run Friday tied the game in the third inning before his RBI double helped fuel Atlanta's decisive fifth inning. Earlier in the week, he delivered a game-winning home run against Toronto. The Braves haven't necessarily asked him to carry the lineup, but he keeps finding himself involved in some of the club's biggest moments.

His production with runners in scoring position helps explain why. Dubón is hitting .358 with a 1.037 OPS in those situations this season. The confidence behind the recent results isn't exactly new, either.

“I’m very cocky,” said Dubón, via Demetrius Bell of SB Nation. “I know I can do it. I know I can go out there and let my game speak for itself. I’ve always got the chip on my shoulder so I know I can go out there and perform.”

That mentality has followed him throughout a career that began as a 26th-round draft pick and has often required him to earn opportunities rather than have them handed to him.

What started as additional playing time while Atlanta searched for answers elsewhere has become something more valuable. The Braves continue to receive flexibility from Dubón's ability to play multiple positions, but his bat is becoming just as important.

For a team with the best record in baseball, those contributions are making lineup decisions increasingly straightforward.