Tyler Pastornicky went 1-for-2 with three walks Sunday as the Braves and Phillies played to a 7-7 tie.

Pastornicky's improved play, combined with Andrelton Simmons missing some time recently, will likely settle the matter at shortstop for the Braves. We're guessing Simmons will earn a crack at the job later, but Pastornicky will be the starter initially. He's just a $1-$2 player in NL-only leagues.

Tyler Pastornicky doubled in his lone at-bat off the bench against the Nationals on Thursday.

Pastornicky seems likely to beat out Andrelton Simmons for the Braves' shortstop job, but it's doubtful he'll have much fantasy value at all. He's hit .233/.242/.267 in 60 at-bats this spring.

Tyler Pastornicky went 4-for-5 with an RBI against the Marlins on Thursday.

All four hits were singles, but he raised his average from .159 to .224. With no extra-base hits and one walk in 49 at-bats, Pastornicky still has a lot of work to do. Still, the fact that Andrelton Simmons has been ever weaker with the bat helps his case for holding on to the starting job at shortstop.

Tyler Pastornicky turned in an 0-for-4 on Tuesday, leaving him 3-for-30 this spring.

Pastornicky's glove is nothing special, so the Braves will have little reason to stick with him if he doesn't hit. He might be a slightly better bet offensively than the injured Jack Wilson or fellow prospect Andrelton Simmons, but it was largely the Braves' thriftiness that got him penciled in at shortstop.

Tyler Pastornicky is just 2-for-19 this spring after going hitless in four at-bats Friday against the Yankees.

Pastornicky also struggled on a ball to his right in the first inning, turning a play most MLB shortstops would have made into an infield single for Derek Jeter. The Braves are set to go with Pastornicky as their starting shortstop, but he could well prove to be one of the league's weakest regulars as a rookie.

David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes the Braves could go with shortstop Tyler Pastornicky as their opening day starter.

This conflicts with earlier comments from GM Frank Wren, who stated that he feels Pastornicky is not ready to take over in 2012. While it's clear the Braves would like to add a veteran presence, the front office is reluctant to give out any type of muti-year deal. If they were to go the free agent route for a stop-gap, Nick Punto, Ronny Cedeno, Cesar Izturis, and Rafael Furcal are all available, though Furcal is expected to be seeking a two-year contract.

Braves general manager Frank Wren indicated during an interview on Sirius XM Tuesday that he feels shortstop prospect Tyler Pastornicky is not ready to take over at the position in 2012.

The Braves have never been shy about promoting prospects, but evidently they feel that Pastornicky, who has only 27 games of experience at Triple-A, needs more seasoning. Wren also indicated that the Braves do not have interest in Jimmy Rollins or Jose Reyes and instead will likely to look at the trade route for their shortstop needs rather than free agency.

Braves purchased the contract of SS Tyler Pastornicky from Triple-A Gwinnett.

He'll add a little depth to the roster after Alex Gonzalez was forced to leave Tuesday's game due to a strained calf. Pastornicky, who was acquired from the Blue Jays last year in the Yunel Escobar deal, batted .314/.359/.414 with seven homers, 45 RBI, 27 stolen bases and a .773 OPS over 512 plate appearances this season between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. The 21-year-old likely would have been a September call-up if it wasn't for a high ankle sprain in mid-August. The Braves will need to make a corresponding roster move prior to Wednesday's game.

The Braves could give Tyler Pastornicky their shortstop job in 2012.

The 21-year-old might have been promoted last month if he hadn't suffered a high ankle sprain. Acquired last year as part of the Yunel Escobar trade, Pastornicky batted .314/.359/.414 with seven homers and 27 steals between Double- and Triple-A this season. Alex Gonzalez is a pending free agent, so Pastornicky could be the answer at shortstop if the team decides to go cheap at the position.

Braves prospect shortstop Tyler Pastornicky hit for the cycle Tuesday night with Double-A Mississippi.

Pastornicky completed the cycle by hitting a triple in the eighth inning. "It's awesome," said Pastornicky. "It's a pretty good feeling to do something like that. It's pretty rare in baseball." The 21-year-old is batting .298/.344/.423 with six home runs, 36 RBI and 19 stolen bases over 79 games at the Double-A level this season. He was ranked as the organization's No. 14 prospect by Baseball America over the winter.

Braves infield prospect Tyler Pastronicky suffered a strained hamstring in the Arizona Fall League last week and has been shut down.

It's not an injury that will linger into spring training. The Braves simply wanted to play it safe and decided to pull him from the AFL two weeks early. Pastronicky, 20, batted .254/.333/.336 with two home runs and 11 stolen bases in 160 plate appearances at the Double-A level this past season.

Braves acquired INF Tyler Pastronicky, LHP Tim Collins and SS Alex Gonzalez from the Blue Jays for SS Yunel Escobar and LHP Jo-Jo Reyes.

Pastronicky, a former fifth-round pick in 2008, has a .264/.340/.355 batting line over parts of three seasons in the minor leagues. A right-handed hitter, the 20-year-old has batted .258/.348/.376 with six homers, 35 RBI and seven stolen bases for High-A Dunedin this season, splitting time between shortstop and second base. He's not going to hit for much power, but with his speed, he could make for a useful utility infielder someday. Pastronicky was ranked as the Jays' No. 17 prospect by Baseball America before the season.