With the Atlanta Braves having offensive issues they should try to find more at bats for 32-year old lefty swinging 1B/3B/OF Eric Hinske. Hinske has played in 18 games for the Braves this season and he is 8 for 26 (.308 avg, .819 OPS) with 4 runs scored, 2 doubles, 1 triple and 8 RBIs. With Jason Heyward, Melky Cabrera, Nate McLouth, Matt Diaz and Troy Glaus all struggling right now it makes no sense to keep a guy who is hitting on the bench right now. The Braves can’t afford to keep wasting good pitching so they should start giving Hinske a couple of starts every week.

27-year old righty Chris Resop never had much success in the majors as a starting pitcher. So he is trying his hand at starting in AAA-ball and the early returns are looking good. Resop has started 4 games for the Braves in AAA-ball this season and he is 1-1 with a 1.37 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. He has whiffed 24 batters in only 19 2/3 innings so far this season showing that his stuff is more than good enough to handle starting. But, he has not been working too deeply in games because of his control as he has walked 9 batters already this season. If Resop tightens up his control and starts working deeper in games he might get a call from the Braves if they need a starter at some point in 2010 due to injury.

Nate McLouth looks lost for the Braves at the plate right now. In his first 17 games, McLouth is 7 for 44 (.159 avg, .582 OPS) with 4 runs scored, 1 homer and 3 RBIs. He has whiffed 16 times already this season as his bat looks like it has a hole in it right now. He’s kind of lucky that Melky Cabrera and Matt Diaz are also off to slow starts which is buying him some time to get things together. McLouth has been a productive player in the not so distant past and the Braves need his power so they hope he turns things around soon.

The Braves have three games against the Phillies at home this week before traveling to New York over the weekend for a three game set with the Mets. The Braves are 7-5 on the season which has them in 3rd place in the A.L. East, 1 game behind the Phillies. The Braves have outscored opponents 60-54 this so far this season. The Braves aren’t pitching or hitting as good as they can yet so look out when things start to click for them.

23-year old righty starting pitcher Tommy Hanson is picking up where he left off last year. He has started 2 games for the Braves this season and he is 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. He has only given up 8 hits while whiffing 14 batters in only 11 1/3 innings so far this year showing just how nasty his stuff has been. But, he has walked 7 batters which is way too many. Still, control wasn’t an issue for him last season and I don’t think it will be in 2010 either.