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Braves planning to activate Prado Friday vs. Nats

The Braves plan to activate Martin Prado from the disabled list Friday for the second-half opener against the Nationals, barring any problems Thursday night in Double-A Mississippi.

Prado has missed 31 games recovering from staph infection surgery in his right calf.

“Prado is good, really, really good,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said at Thursday’s workout at Turner Field. “His legs feel great. If nothing unforeseen happens in (Thursday night’s) game, he’ll be ready to go (Friday) and play third base.”

Prado will move from left field to play third base until Chipper Jones returns from the disabled list. He’ll also give the Braves a lift in the top of the order, where Gonzalez plans to hit him second.

“He’s a good player and he’s going to make our team better,” Jones said. “You need your class clowns. You also need your intensity guys and he’s one of our intensity guys, not to mention he’s an All-Star. So it’ll be almost like getting a free agent pickup after the All-Star break.”

Prado went 4-for-21 (.190) with two RBIs in the first seven games of his minor league rehabilitation – six games with Triple-A Gwinnett and his first game Wednesday night in Mississippi. http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blo ... y-vs-nats/