Mallex Smith makes rehab start with Mississippi

Mallex Smith made a rehab start for the Mississippi Braves Thursday night and could be back in the major leagues before the end of the regular season. He wasted no time in getting his rehab stint off to a good start going 2-for-3 with two RBIs in a 5-1 win over Biloxi.

Smith suffered a fractured left thumb back on June 18. The injury was slow to heal and manager Brian Snitker indicated that he could miss the remainder of the season. However, that turned out not to be the case.

Smith saw an early opportunity with the Braves after an injury to Ender Inciarte in the opening week of the season. He has appeared in 58 games with three home runs and 21 RBIs. He got off to a slow start with Atlanta batting just .188 through his first 16 games but caught comfortable in May where he slashed .267/.300/.493.

The Braves' outfield situation has changed since Smith went on the DL with the addition of Matt Kemp. Still it is good to see him back and getting some action over the last month will hopefully put him on track heading the offseason.