- Associated Press - Wednesday, August 31, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) - Matt Diaz returned to the Atlanta Braves in a trade with Pittsburgh and will start in right field against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.

The NL wild card-leading Braves acquired Diaz for a player to be named and cash considerations on Wednesday. The deal was completed in time for 33-year-old Diaz to be eligible for the postseason roster.

Diaz will bat against the Nationals left-hander John Lannan. He hit .335 against left-handers while playing for the Braves for five seasons from 2006-10. He’s hitting .295 against left-handers this season.

Diaz was a part-time starting outfielder and one of the Braves’ top players off the bench. He left after the 2010 season to sign a two-year, $4.25 million deal with the Pirates.

Diaz hit.259 (56-for-216) with 12 doubles and 19 RBIs in 100 games with Pittsburgh. The Pirates had little playing time available for Diaz after outfielders Alex Presley and Jose Tabata recently returned from injuries.

The Braves placed left-hander George Sherrill on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 27, with left elbow inflammation, clearing a roster spot for Diaz.

Atlanta has an 8 1/2-game lead over St. Louis for the NL wild card.

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