Since arriving in the trade that sent Justin Upton to the San Diego Padres, Jace Peterson has been an interesting character for the Atlanta Braves. The 24-year-old infielder isn't the most polished player at this point in his career, but Peterson is a big-time athlete at 210 pounds and as a former top-10 prospect for the Padres, it is easy to see the potential for development.

With that as the backdrop, Peterson produced a very strong Spring Training line (.807 OPS, 3 steals, etc.) that resulted in the notion that he would be the everyday second baseman. In fairness, the Braves didn't exactly boast a fantastic alternative, as Fredi Gonzalez made it clear that Jose Peraza would not make the club out of Spring, and the duo of Phil Gosselin and Alberto Callaspo did not exactly inspire fear in the opposition.

However, Peterson has only received 55 plate appearances this season (an identical number to Callaspo), and that undoubtedly prompted an exchange prior to Atlanta's game on April 26. The takeaway? Gonzalez was asked about Callaspo as the everyday second baseman, and he.... well.... stated that he was moving back in that direction, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.

Fredi indicated he's going back to his initial plan to utilize Jace Peterson as his primary second baseman. — Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 26, 2015

That sentiment apparently lasted exactly one day, however, as Gonzalez then had this to say about Peterson and the potential mixing of the lineup (via Michael Cunningham of the AJC):

"We will keep doing what we are doing. (Peterson) is having some good at-bats. Obviously in this game the more success you have, the more playing time you get."

And later:

"What are you going to tell the other guy who is hitting .400, .380 and every time you put them in there they do well?"

Did you follow that? Neither did I.

Of course, Peterson was in the lineup on Monday night, batting seventh, and the youngster responded with a 2-for-2 day at the plate that included a walk, a run scored and a run batted in. Further complicating matters, though, Peterson produced two errant (read: horrendous) throws in the ninth inning, and while they did not cost the Braves any ground on the scoreboard, it certainly wasn't a testament to his prowess in that particular area.

So, where are we?

The Atlanta Braves are 10-9, and that would indicate (at least to some) that they are competitive. However, this is not a team built to contend for a playoff spot or anything beyond that this season, further pushing Fredi Gonzalez toward the reality that he should have an eye toward the future in developing his young players.

In the second response that referenced "keep doing what we're doing", Gonzalez lumped Peterson along with catcher Christian Bethancourt, who is in a similar situation as veteran A.J. Pierzynski takes at-bats on a daily basis. It is difficult to blame Gonzalez in that particular instance, as Pierzynski produces at a level above his head at the plate with a track record as a legitimate Major League starter. Still, no such alternative exists at second base, and even with with a .261 slugging percentage this season, Jace Peterson appears to be the best internal option.

It is entirely possible that Peterson, well, isn't very good. That is something that the organization must evaluate in the coming days, but in the meantime, it would serve Gonzalez well to simply make up his mind, and preferably, insert Jace Peterson into the lineup on a daily basis.