Juan Francisco went 2-for-4 and hit a three-run homer as the Braves' designated hitter Wednesday in a 5-3 win over the Tigers. Both Braves third-base candidates did well today, as Chris Johnson went 2-for-2 with an RBI before being removed. A platoon, with Francisco playing versus righties and Johnson starting against lefties, is a possibility. Because of his power, Francisco has the greater upside for fantasy purposes.

David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the Braves "would be fairly comfortable" with Martin Prado splitting time with Reed Johnson in left field and Juan Francisco at third base. The plan has been to move Prado in from the outfield to take Chipper Jones' spot at third, but the Braves have yet to sign a left fielder to make that move possible. It still seems pretty likely it will happen, but if not, Francisco would start against right-handers and Johnson would start against lefties.

David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Juan Francisco will get a chance as Braves' everyday third baseman next season. With Chipper Jones retiring, Francisco is an obvious candidate for an expanded role. O'Brien also believes that Martin Prado could be moved from left field to third base to replace Jones. An offseason acquisition can't be ruled out, either.

Juan Francisco smashed an RBI double on Tuesday, accounting for the Braves' lone run in a losing effort against the Pirates. He finished the night 1-for-4. Francisco has had minimal success in his first season in Atlanta, hitting .239/.284/.441 with nine homers and 31 RBI in his 188 at-bats. With Chipper Jones' impending retirement, Francisco is the leading candidate to assume the everyday role at third base unless the Braves acquire another option from outside the organization.

Juan Francisco was able to play the role of hero on Friday, delivering a pinch-hit walkoff single, giving the Braves a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers in 11 innings. After the first two hitters were retired in the Braves half of the 11th, they strung together a pair of singles to put runners on first and third. Francisco was called upon to hit for Jonny Venters and lined a sharp single to left field off Brandon League to give the Braves the victory. He has seen a sharp decrease in his playing time recently with Chipper Jones proving to be healthy, but remains a very capable backup option.

Juan Francisco went 3-for-4 with an RBI single in Saturday's loss to the Nationals. With Chipper Jones (calf) back on the DL, Francisco is going to get the majority of starts at third base. He's hitting just .226 in 84 at-bats on the season, but does have five homers. Remember that he slugged 27 homers while playing in the minors back in 2009 -- the last time he received regular starts.

Juan Francisco struck out all three times he was up Thursday against the Phillies. Francisco has three homers in 43 at-bats, but it comes with a .209 average and a dreadful 16/1 K/BB ratio. It's that lack of plate discipline that could prevent him from making it as a regular in the majors.

Juan Francisco hit his third home run of the season in Sunday's loss to the Diamondbacks. Francisco's at-bats have been limited thanks to Chipper Jones' return, but he's still displaying the raw power he was known for as a prospect in the Reds' organization. Francisco now has three homers and seven RBI in just 28 at-bats. He'll be a name to watch if/when Jones hits the DL.

Juan Francisco will make his Braves debut in Saturday's game against the Mets. Manager Fredi Gonzalez plans to use Francisco at third base and move Martin Prado to left field against right-handers whenever Chipper Jones (knee) is out. Francisco was acquired from the Reds for pitching prospect J.J. Hoover earlier this week.

Braves acquired 3B Juan Francisco from the Reds in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect J.J. Hoover. Francisco didn't put himself in the Reds' good graces by showing up to camp overweight, and, despite showing some power this spring, he's batted under .200 while striking out 16 times over 51 at-bats. But, he has huge raw power and could handle third base until Chipper Jones (knee) is ready, pushing Martin Prado back to left field.