NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Adam Duvall understands why so many Braves fans were happy to hear he rejoined the club last week. The indelible bond created by the 2021 World Series title is one that is savored by players and fans alike.

“When you do what we did in 2021, there’s always that special place in your heart,” Duvall said. “To be able to come back and be part of another great team is pretty cool. It will be exciting to see how this group takes shape and forms its own identity.”

When the Braves announced they signed Duvall to a one-year, $3 million deal last week, the fit seemed perfect. The team needed an experienced outfielder, preferably a right-handed one who could platoon with Jarred Kelenic in left field. 

Duvall fit the role, and more importantly, already had the respect of most everyone in the Braves’ clubhouse, including manager Brian Snitker, who considers the outfielder one of his favorite players he’s ever managed.

“That means a lot,” Duvall said when told of Snitker’s sentiment. “That’s really cool.” 

Duvall signed with Atlanta exactly two weeks ahead of Thursday’s Opening Day matchup against the Phillies in Philadelphia. He won’t be expected to be in the starting lineup until the Braves conclude the three-game series with a March 31 matchup against left-hander Ranger Suarez. 

Will Duvall have enough time to prepare?

Well, he spent the past few weeks working out with the University of Louisville and Lipscomb University baseball teams. Those workouts helped to some degree, but Duvall didn’t really get to see professional pitching until he arrived in Spring Training and spent the past few days playing in Minor League games.

Duvall got four to six plate appearances in the Minor League games he played over the past few days. He got to see a couple of left-handed pitchers from the Rays’ system on Wednesday and he would have made his Grapefruit League debut on Friday in Fort Myers, but with heavy rain in the forecast, Snitker instead pushed back Duvall’s exhibition season debut to Saturday against the Rays. That proved to be the right move as Friday's game against the Twins was ultimately rained out.

Debuting Saturday will give the outfielder a chance to play in four Grapefruit League games before the team heads to Philadelphia after Tuesday afternoon’s game in Fort Myers. 

“I think the biggest thing is getting the at-bats and getting the legs underneath me,” Duvall said. “You can do as much as you can [away from Spring Training], but you have to go out there and stand in cleats and experience the back and forth of coming to the dugout and then getting hot on the field again. It takes a little bit of time.”  

Duvall first joined the Braves in July 2018 near the end of Ronald Acuña Jr.’s National League Rookie of Year season and he was with the Braves again in 2022, when Michael Harris II arrived in late May and was named NL ROY a few months later.

Now, Duvall will be reunited with both of those outfielders, who have established themselves as two of the game’s best.

“It’s cool to see them do their thing and be leaders,” Duvall said. “It’s cool to see them get to this point where they just go out there and do their thing.”

I’m pretty sure Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer provided the best quote from Spring Training this year when he was asked about the strides Kelenic has made since adjusting his swing at the start of camp.

“He looks sexy as all get out to me,” Seitzer said. “I was like, ‘Dadgummit, he’s ready to go.’ He’s just got to let it go.”

Seitzer had a lot of good things to say in this story about Kelenic.

The hitting coach’s confidence was easier to understand when Kelenic delivered a two-hit game against the Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon, a few hours after I had talked to Seitzer. The talented outfielder also tripled against the Yankees on Thursday. 

It’s seldom wise to put too much stock in Spring Training numbers, whether they are good or bad. But this certainly applies to Kelenic, who is adapting to a new swing and a new environment. The strides he’s made over the past few days seem more telling than his .125 (6-for-48) batting average.

The Braves deserve credit for choosing Forrest Wall to fill the last bench spot on their Opening Day roster. They could have given the spot to Luke Williams, who still might end up in that role for most of the year -- but Wall clearly won the job in Spring Training and he deserved to be rewarded. 

Will Wall get any playing time beyond potential pinch-running appearances? Probably not. But if the Braves want him to start getting regular at-bats to be ready in case he’s needed to fill a regular outfield role with Atlanta, they could send him back down to Triple-A Gwinnett after spending some time in the Majors.

If the club doesn’t see the benefit of him getting daily at-bats, then the Braves could keep him in the Majors all season and occasionally benefit from his great speed. Regardless of what happens over the next six months, there’s a good chance Wall will end up on Atlanta’s postseason roster for a second straight year.

• Anthony Castrovince looks at the top 10 lineups in MLB.

• Michael Clair wrote about when Hank Aaron brought the Braves to Korea.

• Reynaldo López will begin the season as Atlanta’s fifth starter. How long will he remain in the rotation?

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