ATLANTA -- When Peter Moylan had last seen his wife back in their native Australia, she was pregnant and he was preparing to come to Spring Training and prove he belongs in the Major Leagues.

When they were reunited during the wee hours of Monday morning, she was carrying the two-month-old daughter he'd never seen, and he was displaying a smile that has been evident throughout what has been a very impressive rookie season.

Moylan has every right to be proud about the fact that his 1.82 ERA and .198 opponents batting average rank first among all Major League rookie relievers. But that sense of pride couldn't top the one he felt when he was finally able to hold two-month-old Matisse, who seemingly took an immediate liking to her father.

"She fell asleep in my arms last night and she fell asleep in my arms before I came to the field today," Moylan said. "[My wife], Tracey, was saying they hadn't been able to get her to lay down like that. So it was a little bit of an ego trip for me."

When Moylan was forced to visit his dentist at 9 a.m. after getting very little sleep, he wasn't complaining. He'd been introduced to his new daughter and reunited with six-year-old Montana, the daughter who'd sadly missed her father as he spent the entirety of this long baseball season in the United States.

"She didn't let go of me the whole time, and I didn't let go of her to be honest with you," Moylan said. "So it was pretty cool."

When Moylan arrived at Spring Training this year, he spoke about how hard it had been to say goodbye to Montana and his pregnant wife. With Tracey not due until the middle of July, he knew he was going to spend nearly eight full months away from his family, with no guarantee that he'd realize his dream of proving himself as a Major Leaguer.

When Moylan arrives at Spring Training next year, he'll at least have the confidence that his separation from his family is worthwhile. Minus the season debut he made on April 15 while working on just an hour or two of sleep, the side-arming right-hander has actually posted a 1.51 ERA in 70 big league appearances this year.

The only other reliever who has made at least 20 appearances and posted a sub-3.00 ERA is Ron Mahay, who has fashioned a 2.74 ERA in the 22 appearances he's made since being acquired from the Rangers at the trade deadline.

"He's been quite a find," Braves manager Bobby Cox said of Moylan, who was an unknown commodity that wasn't found until he pitched for Australia in last year's World Baseball Classic.

When this season is complete, Moylan plans to take his family to Los Angeles for approximately a week to visit some theme parks. From there, they'll head back to Australia for the remainder of the offseason.

Jones to rejoin R-Braves: Brandon Jones made his second consecutive start in left field for the Atlanta Braves on Monday night. On Tuesday night, he'll rejoin his Richmond Braves teammates in Oklahoma City, where they'll look to claim Triple-A bragging rights in the Bricktown Showdown.

The Showdown, which will be aired on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET, will pit Richmond against the Sacramento River Cats, who won the Pacific League championship. Blaine Boyer will get the start for Richmond in this one-game event.

Jones helped Richmond win the International League title with a pair of wins on Saturday and then traveled to Washington, D.C., to make his Major League debut on Sunday. The 23-year-old outfielder combined to hit .295 with 19 homers and 100 RBIs in 138 games with Double-A Mississippi and Richmond this season.

Cox said Jones would be back with his club when they conclude their three-game series against the Marlins on Wednesday.

Jones, Renteria eyeing batting title: With his 2-for-4 performance on Sunday, Chipper Jones moved to the top of the National League with a .335 batting average. Entering Monday, he was one point ahead of Philadelphia's Chase Utley, Colorado's Matt Holliday and his teammate, Edgar Renteria, who was leading before going hitless in four at-bats on Sunday.

With three plate appearances on Monday, Renteria would reach the minimum (502) required to qualify for the batting title. The veteran shortstop missed more than a month with a sprained right ankle that he suffered on Aug. 2. Utley and Jones also missed approximately a month because of injuries this year.

Braves bits: Cox confirmed that Jo-Jo Reyes will serve as his starter for Tuesday night's game against the Marlins. Reyes strained his right hamstring while shagging balls during batting practice on Saturday but has since said that the ailment wasn't serious. ... The Braves recognized the Cartersville (Ga.) team that won the Senior League Baseball World Series before Monday's game. Earlier this month, they recognized the Warner Robbins (Ga.) club that won the Little League World Series.

Coming up: The Braves will continue their three-game series against the Marlins on Tuesday at 7:35 p.m. ET. They'll send Reyes (0-2, 7.75 ERA) to the mound to oppose lefty Chris Seddon (0-0, 10.50).