Diet, hard work come to fruition for Ruiz

ATLANTA — Coming off a disappointing 2015 campaign with Double-A Mississippi, Rio Ruiz met with Braves president of baseball operations John Hart during instructional league to discuss his career going forward.

The exchange focused on Ruiz taking ownership of his career, and it included a challenge for the 230-pound third baseman to get in better shape. But Hart also reinforced the club’s adoration for him.

That conversation lingered in Ruiz’s mind throughout the offseason and into this year. And after dropping close to 30 pounds since then, the 22-year-old earned his reward on Saturday, when the Braves selected his contract from Triple-A Gwinnett.

“It was really a loss for words because I couldn’t think of words to say,” said Ruiz, Atlanta’s No. 15 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. “I tried to say thank you, but it wouldn’t come out. I just gave [Gwinnett manager John Moses] a big hug and told him thank you for everything he helped me out with throughout the season.”

But meeting Hart’s demands didn’t come without its challenges. As he worked throughout the offseason to shed weight, Ruiz often found himself tested to maintain his …

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