Brothers Chase, Travis d'Arnaud have been awaiting on-field reunion

ATLANTA -- Hours before the Mets and Braves opened their series at Turner Field, the brothers d'Arnaud met Thursday for lunch at Lenox Square, "some good chicken teriyaki," as Travis said.

New York's four-game series in Atlanta isn't the first time that the Braves' Chase d'Arnaud and the Mets' Travis, who is two years younger, have been on the same field in the majors. But for Chase it has the potential to be much more rewarding.

"It was a one-time thing, one at-bat and I struck out," said the Braves outfielder/infielder of that Sept. 29, 2015 game when he was with the Phillies. "... Hopefully I'll be able to redeem myself."

That first encounter -- which was the first time in their careers at any level that the New York catcher was behind the plate with Chase at bat -- came with the elder d'Arnaud a late-season call-up. The 29-year-old, who has played in 112 games for three different franchises, has turned into a versatile piece for the Braves, hitting .287/.365/.377 with nine doubles, a triple and five homers in 122 at-bats over 37 games while playing second base, third base, shortstop and left field.

"I'm so happy for him," Travis said of his brother's first season in Atlanta. "He's been playing so well and, more importantly, having fun with those guys over there. It's great to see him slow things down and play well."

That fun has included the aspiring rock musician -- who has an appearance at Bonnaroo's Hay Bale Studio under his belt -- serenading the Turner Field, pressbox cooks and teammate Jeff Francoeur poolside in Miami.

"That's who he is as a person," Travis of Chase. "He's outgoing and makes friends with everyone almost instantly."

Chase went 3 for 11 with a double and two walks in the Braves' sweep in New York last season, but Travis was on the disabled list with a strained right rotator cuff in his right shoulder that had him out since April 26. He returned to the Mets' lineup on Tuesday, setting the stage for the brothers' on-field reunion in Atlanta, something they had discussed often.

"We talk about it all the time," Chase said. "We love playing against each other. Which brothers wouldn't? It's not an opportunity that comes often but we're really pumped to be here at the same time."

Said Travis, "It's pretty surreal. I still remember vividly being 3 and watching him as a 5-year-old play in T-ball. For us to be at the ultimate stage and being able to play against each other is pretty surreal and a lifelong dream of both of ours."

One that started in Torrance, Calif., where the d'Arnauds used to wait for the green, spiked round balls that fell off the Sweetgum tree in the family's front yard to turn brown. They'd throw them to each other, often putting dents in passing cars, or their parents' vehicles.

"What are you going to do," Chase said, smiling. "Boys want to play?"

They'll likely do so often this series. Chase wasn't in the starting lineup for Thursday's opener, but he's missed just one game since May 31, coming off the bench three times. When he steps into the batter's box, Travis says he has something planned.

"He's my older brother," he said. "I'll throw jabs at him when I can."

Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney and Facebook. His book, 'Tales from the Atlanta Braves Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest Braves Stories Ever Told,' is out now, and 'The Heisman Trophy: The Story of an American Icon and Its Winners' will be released Nov. 1, 2016.