Freddie Freeman at third base? It's happening on the Fourth of July

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, whose wrist was broken Wednesday by a pitch from Toronto Blue Jays' Aaron Loop and is in a cast, opens a piece of bubble gum in the dugout during the first inning of the teams' baseball game Thursday, May 18, 2017, in Atlanta. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Credit: Mark Bradley

Credit: Mark Bradley

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, whose wrist was broken Wednesday by a pitch from Toronto Blue Jays' Aaron Loop and is in a cast, opens a piece of bubble gum in the dugout during the first inning of the teams' baseball game Thursday, May 18, 2017, in Atlanta. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

I'm on record as believing this to be a Bad Idea . (Note use of upper case.) I'm of the opinion you don't move your franchise player – even if moving was his idea – to accommodate a guy who was traded straight-up for Juan Yepez not two months ago and who just happened to have a hot few weeks.

I’m of the opinion that the Atlanta Braves are sacrificing defense – really, that’s not an opinion; that’s a fact, Jack – for the sake of one more bat in everyday eight. I’m of the opinion that a team building around young pitching should never skimp on defense. (We recall John Schuerholz adding glove men in Sid Bream, Terry Pendleton, Rafael Belliard and Otis Nixon to the 1991 team, which turned out OK.) I’m of the opinion …

But enough about me. This is about Freddie Freeman. He’s activated for tonight’s tilt, which just happens to be against the best-in-baseball Houston Astros and just happens to fall on the Fourth of July. He was supposed to be playing a rehab game in Gwinnett, but he's batting third and playing third in another suburban county.

For better or worse (and I fear the latter), the Braves' best player is playing third base. Opinions are now moot. This is reality, about which more in a bit.