Juan Francisco was removed from Friday's game against the Mets in the third inning due to an apparent ankle injury. Francisco had just driven in the Braves first run of the evening with an RBI single. After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt, he was trying to get back to second base after Jordan Schafer missed a bunt attempt, when he switched directions and badly rolled his ankle. The Braves should have an update on his status shortly.

Juan Francisco hit two solo home runs off Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie on Tuesday. Francisco is part of a platoon at third base with Chris Johnson, but while Freddie Freeman is out both players have been able to sneak into the starting lineup. The playing time has been good to Francisco, as he's now hitting .306 on the year with three home runs. As long as he's hot and getting consistent playing time against right-handed pitchers, ride the wave.

Juan Francisco went 3-for-4 with a home run in the Braves' 8-0 victory over the Marlins on Wednesday. It was the first home run of the season for the third baseman as he took Alex Sanabia deep in the fifth inning. As the left-handed hitting part of the Braves' third base platoon, Francisco has gotten a lot of playing time early and has cashed in, hitting .321 after Wednesday's game. Francisco will continue to get the majority of the playing time at the hot corner against right-handed pitchers going forward.

Juan Francisco is expected to start at third base Wednesday against the Braves. Chris Johnson started the season opener with left-hander Cole Hamels on the hill for the Phillies, but Francisco is in there against the right-hander Roy Halladay. Francisco figures to get the most at-bats if Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez goes with a strict platoon, so his power makes him worth chasing in NL-only and deeper mixed leagues.

Juan Francisco homered off Brayan Villarreal in the top of the ninth to lead the Braves to a 6-5 win over the Tigers on Tuesday. Francisco also doubled in the game. He's been terrific this spring, hitting .354 with six homers, four doubles and 14 RBI in 65 at-bats. It does come with a 15/2 K/BB ratio, but that's part of the package with him. He's earned a chance to start at third base against right-handers next month. Chris Johnson will spell him against lefties.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Thursday that Juan Francisco and Chris Johnson will likely platoon at third base to start the season. Gonzalez was hoping one of the duo would separate themselves during Grapefruit League play, but they've both played well, so he's not ready to name a starter. "I think both of those guys are playing such great baseball right now," Gonzalez said, "so it would be unfair to say (to one of them) you're the starter." Francisco will see more start as the left-handed bat and offers some power potential for fantasy owners.

Juan Francisco went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI against the Phillies on Monday. With a .353 average and five homers, Francisco is outproducing Chris Johnson this spring, though both have been pretty good. We're hoping to see Francisco start against most right-handers early on, which would give him more fantasy value than Johnson. That's still to be determined, though.

Juan Francisco hit his fourth home run of the spring in the Braves 4-0 win over the Yankees Saturday. Francisco, 25, also singled in the game and is hitting .311 on the spring. A left-handed batter, Francisco is expected to platoon with Chris Johnson at third base this season. As demonstrated by his four Grapefruit League home runs, Francisco is a good source of power but not much else. In a timeshare, he's only worth a look in deep NL-only leagues unless something changes.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he has not decided on a winner of the third base competition between Juan Francisco and Chris Johnson. Both went into Wednesday's game hitting well, as Francisco has batted .294 with two doubles, two homers and five RBI, while Johnson has hit .314 with a double, two homers and six RBI. Gonzalez views them as "about the same (defensively)." Ultimately, the Braves will likely go with a platoon at the position, with Francisco on the strong side against right-handers.

Juan Francisco continued his strong start to Grapefruit League play Thursday, smashing a solo homer in a loss to the Tigers. The blast came off of Brayan Villarreal in the seventh inning. Francisco is now batting .370 with two homers, two doubles and five RBI over his first 27 spring at-bats. The 25-year-old is expected to represent the strong side of a platoon with Chris Johnson at third base this season.